Saurian Code Production Season 1 Revisions
by Nightbloom
Summary: Revisions: Taking place after the series. Ep 17-18, summaries at the top of each "episode" chapter. Originals removed as revisions are posted. Current arc completion: Season finale. 7/4/10
1. The Return of Canard Part 1

The Return of Canard (and Lord Draguanus)

Part 1

Things were slow in Anaheim as Nosedive sat at the controls of Drake 1, grinning as he found himself winning the game he was currently playing. Things were good, the start of the season was going well, and Klegghorn hadn't been threatening to lock them up for whatever reason. Yeah. Sending Dragaunus down into the depths of the ocean had been a good thing. If only there was a way to go home, despite having become popular here.

Of course, all good things come to an end as a small beeping noise informed him that something came up.

He paused the game and flipped a switch. The beeping became loud enough to be heard through the room.

"Hey, Tanya!" he said over the com. "Something's up!"

The rest of the Ducks emerged from different locations of the Pond. Tanya went to the controls, pressed a few buttons, then stepped back.

The screen showed a map of California and a small red blip.

"It's a dimensional portal," she said. "Something just arrived and it landed outside in the desert."

"Then let's check it out," said Wildwing, donning the Golden Mask. "The Aerowing!"

Forty minutes later, the Aerowing reached its destination.

"There!" said Mallory, pointing to a still figure on the floor.

"Bring her down," ordered Wildwing.

Nosedive and Tanya , both at the controls, brought down the Aerowing for a smooth landing.

"Be careful," Wildwing warned, as all six ducks climbed out of the jet.

As the approached the figure, it began taking a more familiar shape.

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Mallory.

"Whoa, dude!" said Nosedive.

"Canard!" whispered Wildwing.

X

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the ocean just a bit away from the California shoreline, Lord Dragaunus, Seige, Chameleon, and Wraith were attempting to repair the ship.

"Blast those Ducks," growled Dragaunus, as he shook his fists upwards. "Blast those meddlesome, wretched, Ducks!"

"Hey, watch it! Nyuk, nyuk," Chameleon said, imitating Curly from the Three Stooges. "You almost got my head there!"

Seige stood in front of him, a mallet in his hand. "Oh, sorry," he said, sounding quite the opposite.

"I told you technology will be the downfall of the Suarians," drawled Wraith, in his bored and condescending tone. "If only we were more powerful in the mystic arts."

"Oh, shut-up!" hissed Dragaunus.

Several of his robots crossed the room, each carrying a pile of metal.

"Take those to the engine room. That's were most of the leaks are," ordered Dragaunus. He turned away. "Once I repair this ship, I'll have my revenge!"

"Uh, your Lizardness?" interrupted Chameleon.

"What is it?"

"Just checked the main computer. Says there was an incoming portal that opened up in the dessert."

"Let me see." Dragaunus rushed to the giant monitor. Sure enough, there was a list of numbers and letters that told him of a portal opening.

"Great," he thought outloud. "We don't even know if it's an ally or foe."

Then the alarm sounded. "What the . . . another one?"

"Where's it opening up?" asked Seige.

"Here!"

A shimmer of an opening portal caught the corner of Dragaunus' eye. He whirled around to face it, laser out and ready to shoot the potential threat.

Chameleon, Seige, and the droids did the same. Wraith used his staff.

A moment later, Dragaunus lowered his laser as his jaw dropped in disbelief. The figure that stepped out was another Saurian. And a female at that!

She was shorter that Dragaunus, but held a posture of something both regal and dangerous.

She wore a purple outfit with green trimming that hugged her muscular body. She also wore a garment that wrapped around her waist like a skirt. A matching headband with a purple gem kept most of her black hair away from her face, and a thick necklace decorated her throat.

A black leather glove covered her right hand, probably to handle the laser sword at her belt.

Dragaunus, however, paid more attention to the ring she wore on her left hand.

The Saurian intruder, in the meantime, stared at the lasers that were still in the hands of the others. She dismissed them as unimportant, but raised an eyebrow at the sight of Wraith's staff.

Then she looked at Dragaunus.

"I am Firepassion Nightbloom, fifth rank of the Saurian Code. I have come on a mission to seek Lord Dragaunus."

Lord Dragaunus dropped to one knee, head bowed, surprising Chameleon, Seige, and Wraith.

"Oh, Lady of the Saurian Code! Daughter of Mai! I am Lord Dragaunus!"

X

The Ducks gathered around the unconscious form of Canard.

They were back at the pond in the infirmary, hoping to get an answer. Wildwing was ecstatic, and although Nosedive couldn't quite feel the same thing, he was curious to know where Canard had been this entire time.

Grin remained silent, meditating in one corner. Duke and Mallory were in shock. Tanya was too busy checking everything to make sure that Canard was all right.

A few moments later, Canard began to stir. His eyes flickered open.

Wildwing stepped into his view.

"How ya doing, buddy?" asked Wildwing.

"Wing? 'Sthat really you?" Canard asked, in a hoarse voice.

"Yeah, it's me," replied Wildwing. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. And awful..." With that, Canard drifted right back to sleep.

"Let him rest," said Tanya, gently ushering the rest of the ducks out the door. "Whatever he went through gave him quite a shock to his system."

X

Lord Dragaunus watched with apprehension as Nightbloom moved around the room. She wasn't making any move to study the rest of the Raptor. Instead, she was touching everything.

She stopped in one place and had a look of deep concentration.

"Forgive me, your Highness, but I don't trust her," said Wraith, quietly.

"I'm not too trustful either, but she is of the Saurian Code, and fifth rank! Do you know that is the best of the best? Do you know how long I've tried to be accepted into that group? I want to know why she's in it, and I'm not! Besides, she was sent to find me! Maybe they have finally accepted an alligiance to us."

"My lord, in my experience I've learned never to trust the Saurian Code. They sometimes have a hidden agenda."

"The best reason to keep her close. Of course, I've also heard that they are quite cunning against their foes. If she is here to help us, the Ducks won't stand a chance!"

Lord Dragaunus stood up straighter as Nightbloom approached.

"Why is your ship underwater?" she asked sternly.

"Well, you see . . ." began Chameleon, who was standing closest to her.

"I did not speak to you, underling," snapped the female Saurian.

"Sheesh, sorry," grumbled Chameleon, putting up his hands in the gesture of surrender. "No need to get so catty."

"Insolent being!" growled Nightbloom, her hand going to the hilt of her sword.

"Yikes!" Chameleon scrambled to put distance between him and Nightbloom.

"I asked you a question, sir," Nightbloom said, staring at Dragaunus.

The male Saurian swallowed the angry retort that rose to his lips. It seemed that despite his introduction as lord, he only qualifies as a 'sir' in her eyes. Still, if she was here to help, he would need to maintain good relations with her. So he answered her question as politely as he could.

"My ship was shot down by the Mighty Ducks, six wretched beings from Puckworld."

Nightbloom didn't say a word, nor did she blink. Her emotionless yellow snake eyes began to unnerve Dragaunus and Wraith.

"So the mighty Lord Dragaunus of the Annectia Seas was defeated by the beings he enslaved? Curious."

Dragaunus's eyes opened at the mention of his full name.

Nightbloom seemed to have read his thought. "Oh, I've heard of you. You are a subject of much debate among the noblesmen of the Saurian Code. From the beginning, I want to hear what happened. Before the rebellion, and what happened after you escaped during the rebellion."

X

Canard smiled wearily at Wildwing. "Glad to see you're still here, and alive at that!"

"That's what I should be saying to you! What happened? Where did you come from?"

Something flitted over Canard's eyes. "I'm not sure," he said. "All I remember is a whole bunch of nothingness. Then there was this push, and I found myself falling to the floor!"

"How did you survive?"

"Pure luck. The worm let go of me to go after you. But you had already crossed the portal." Canard yawned.

Wildwing chuckled. "Looks as if you still need more rest."

"If it weren't for the darn sedatives Tanya has given me," Canard growled. "You still need to tell me what has happened during all this time." Canard struggled to stay awake, but the medications won and he was fast asleep.

X

"What an inadequate piece of machinery," Nightbloom said, in a bored voice.

"Inadequate! This ship served its purpose in taking over Puckworld!" roared Dragaunus.

"Then one could assume they had primitive technology. Of course, this planet seems primitive as well, and you're stuck down here!" She glanced up in disgust as another leak formed, dripping on her shoulder.

Dragaunus bit back a response, not wanting to push her away.

"Sir Dragaunus, show me the rest of your ship. Then I will tell you whether or not I can help you with repairs."

X

The Mighty Ducks were scattered throughout the infirmary as Wildwing told Canard of all the happenings.

"So Dragaunus is now at the bottom of the ocean," finished Wildwing.

Canard raised an eyebrow. "You did good. Longer than I anticipated, but good."

"Thanks," said Wildwing, a little unsure about the compliment.

Canard smiled at Tanya, who was cecking on his vital signs.

"I trust I chose wisely on your scientific genius."

Tanya beamed as Wildwing said, "Oh she is extremely handy in anything that deals with machinery or something scientific that we don't understand."

"How about Duke?"

"His stealth and knowledge of sneaking in helped us get the drop on Dragaunus several times."

"Mallory?"

"Strategic planning was her definite strong suit and she followed orders well."

"And Grin?"

"Uh, despite his non-violent nature, he provided the muscle when we needed it."

Canard chuckled. "That's good to hear."

"Hey, what about me?" asked Nosedive, slightly offended that Canard didn't ask about him. Then again, he hadn't been handpicked by Canard either.

Canard gave a small frown. "Nosedive! I see you're still here. And in good health, it appears. Maybe I did underestimate you."

Nosedive didn't say a word. How could he have forgotten how hard Canard tried to persuade Wildwing into not taking him along?

"Then again," continued Canard. "What else besides trouble did you contribute to the team?"

"Stupid stunts," said Tanya, immediately, thinking of the time Nosedive pulled her out of a flying rocket ship on a hunch that something would stop them on their way down.

"Stupid jokes and pranks," grumbled Mallory, thinking of the time Nosedive put a can of worms in her boots.

"Stubborness," rumbled Grin, thinking of the time when Nosedive wouldn't let go of an argument over a stupid cartoon.

"Hyperactiveness," said Duke, thinking of all the energy the kid put into work. It made him feel old!

Wildwing said nothing, knowing that his team members were speaking in jest with a fraction of truth. While Nosedive proved to be infuriating at times, his characteristics made him who he was, and Wing couldn't imagine him another way.

Nosedive, on the other hand, didn't see this as a joke. All he could think about was the few times he got them about of situations on his own.

Why didn't they mention the things he had done? Like the time he saved them from that Doctor Pretorius who wanted to dice them. Or the time he proved their innocence when they had been framed for a jewel heist. Or when he woke up with a mild concussion yet went after the Mammoth to keep Dragaunus from getting his hands on it!

Obviously they were too embarrassed to mention it. Or maybe they didn't see it worthy enough of being mentioned.

"Well," said Canard. "I guess we'll have to work on that."

Nosedive swallowed hard. He didn't like the way that sounded. Of course, it looked like the other ducks didn't take it seriously.

X

Nightbloom looked around as she ran her fingers over several wires. Her lips twitched, but the rest of her facial features barely showed what she was feeling.

She then ran her hands over some of the metal walls. She scratched at a rusty spot and water seeped through.

Off to one side, Dragaunus watched, the anger on his face masking the growing embarrassment of his ship.

Firepassion got on her knees and looked underneath a panel.

She stood up.

"Your ship is savageable, Civillian Dragaunus. If you dismantle half of your droid force for spare parts."

"I see," said Lord Dragaunus.

Chameleon, Seige, and Wraith looked at each other.

"I don't like this," grumbled Seige.

"Half the force! Sheesh! We couldn't beat the ducks with the whole force," said Chameleon.

"She's up to something," stated Wraith.

X

"So the only working demensional portal machine went down with Dragaunus's ship."

Wildwing and Tanya nodded.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't plan on living the rest of my life on this planet," Canard grumbled. "Tanya, so you think you can build a portal?"

"If I had a reference," said Tanya. "I could possibly pull it off."

"Of course the only reference we have is at the bottom of the ocean," growled Mallory.

"We'll just have to go and get it," said Canard. "The water may have destroyed, but at least Tanya will have an idea of how to fix it."

"Not a bad idea," added Duke. "Deep sea scuba diving. I've been wanting to do that."

"HelllOOOooo!" interrupted Nosedive, rather obnoxiously. "Has everyone forgotten about Dragaunus? He could still be alive down there!"

"Ha!" snorted Canard. "That's only possible in your wee little mind. By now Dragaunus has perished. It's been two months. If he didn't die on impact, he would have starved to death!"

"Oh."

Canard shook his head. "What a stupid thought," he muttered.

"So, what will you do in the meantime?"

"What else?" replied Canard with a grin. "Play!"

X

Dragaunus stepped away from a green glowing form that appeared next to him. An old lady with two large shopping bags took its place. Then the lady transformed into the Chameleon.

"Food's here," he said.

"Take it to the cold storage room," Dragaunus snapped.

A noise drew his attention and he stood up straighter.

"It's no wonder the Mighty Ducks finished you off so easily. This ship really is a disgrace," said Nightbloom.

"Maybe you could give me some advice on how to make this ship more serviceable, if not helping me to repair it, Lady of the Saurian Code," responded Dragaunus, tightly.

Nightbloom looked around. "I will repair it," she said, " granted that you follow my advice to dismantle you droid force."

"May I assume this means you'll help us against the Ducks?"

"No."

Dragaunus reared back in surprise.

"I will help you rebuild your ship, Sir. But I do not join a war without observing potential allies or foes."

"What do you mean?"

"I only join a war if it is one of two things. One, I believe in the cause that my potential ally is fighting for. And second, I will fight against a foe who I deem worthy of a challenge. Occasionally, I am blessed with both."

"So this means . . ?"

"I will observe you and your henchmen in action. I will observe the Ducks in action. Then I will make my choice." Her words were spoken without feeling, and cool distant eyes settled on Dragaunus. "I will then work on eliminating the opponent once I've made my choice."

He swallowed nervously.

X

"Everything is in working order," said Nightbloom.

Dragaunus hated to admit it, byt Nightbloom did a splendid job organizing the remaining droids and his henchmen. There were no more leaks or cracks along the cielings, floors, and walls.

"All that is left is to supply some temporary power. There will be enough to pull your ship away from here and make a landing."

"Excellent," said Dragaunus.

"But is there a catch?" muttered Chameleon.

"I still don't like this," said Wraith.

"Me neither," added Seige.

"Sir Dragaunus," said Nightbloom. "Stand by the controls. Push the launch button when I give the order."

Dragaunus nodded calmly, although he was seething with anger. He hated being told what to do, especially by a high and mighty female.

His claw hovered over the controls.

"Now!" said Nightbloom, touching a bare wire to another.

Dragaunus pushed.

A moment later, the Raptor broke through the surface of the water.

X

Drake 1's alarms blared through the halls.

"What is it?" asked Canard.

Tanya dashed into the room.

"You're not going to believe this, but Drake 1 picked up readings from Dragaunus's ship!"

"What!" cried all of the Ducks, with the exception of Nosedive who was saying, "I told ya, bro!" earning a glare from Canard.

Five minutes later, the Aerowing was in the air.

"Drake 1 picked up the signal here!" said Tanya, pointing to a map that showed up on their monitors. "It headed north."

Wildwing and Nosedive turned the jet northward. They travelled for about three minutes at full speed when a red blip showed up on the screen.

"There!" shouted Tanya.

X

"What are you doing?" asked Dragaunus, as Nightbloom took over the controls.

"Avoiding detection," she answered as she lowered the ship and turned to the east. "At this altitude, we'll be under radar, and with the cloaking device on, unnoticed by humans."

"You gotta admit, she's good," said Chameleon, grudgingly.

"We'll stop here. Then you can begin the process of finding some real energy source."

Nightbloom landed the ship.

"Of course," responded Dragaunus.

"Oh, hockey sticks!" cursed Tanya. "The signal is gone."

"Let's go over the area and see if I can spot it with my mask," suggested Wildwing.

Half an hour later, the Mighty Ducks returned to the pond feeling dejected.

"Great," muttered Duke. "Dragaunus is back."

Wildwing immediately headed to the infirmary.

"Back already?" asked Canard.

Wildwing winced. "We lost him."

"I see."

There were a few tense moments.

"I guess there is one thing left to do," Canard finally said. "I think it's time I took back my place as Team Captain and finish Dragaunus for good."

To be continued . . .

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks . . .

Wildwing skated across the ice. Isn't this what he always wanted? For Canard to come back and be Team Captain? So why did it bother him now?

"Bored with what I have to say, kid?" Canard's voice came through.

"Uh, no, Canard," replied Nosedive, hastily.

"That's 'Captain' to you," reprimanded Canard.

"Yes, Captain. I mean, no, Captain," Nosedive quickly amended.

Wildwing watched in shock as his brother leapt onto the back of Seige.


	2. The Return of Canard Part 2

**The Return of Canard (and Lord Dragaunus)**

**Part 2**

_". . . it's time I took back my place as team Captain . . ."_

Wildwing skated across the ice, hearing the words over and over again in his mind. Isn't this what he had always wanted? For Canard to come back and take over the team? So why did he feel so bothered by the notion?

Canard was a better leader than him. He had handpicked the team. Wildwing had just been filling in.

Who would have guessed that he would feel so reluctant to give the team back to Canard when he had been hesitant to take over them in the first place?

A large but gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"What is wrong?" asked Grin, looking down at his team mate.

"I don't know," replied Wildwing with a frustrated sigh. He repeated his thoughts and questions out loud, suddenly not caring about keeping his sturdy confident image.

Grin listened to him ramble on. When Wildwing paused to catch his breath, Grin spoke. "Maybe you've grown to feel responsible for this team. And that responsibility is making you wary of handing it over to someone else."

That was it. That was exactly how he was feeling. Wildwing let his shoulders droop.

"You're right. However, even though I feel this way, I am also a soldier following orders." Wildwing looked at the golden mask in his hands. "And it's time I give this back to the real leader."

X

"At this rate, Sir Dragaunus, you will drive me over to the Ducks in a matter of moments," snarled Nightbloom. "I have no tolerance for beggars."

"I don't beg," protested Dragaunus.

The female Saurian glared at him.

"For the final time, Saurian, I will make my choice after observing both parties. Rather than persuading me with words to join your ranks, I suggest you persuade me with action."

Nightbloom walked out of the room.

"We have to do this right," said Dragaunus, turning to Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith. "We must prove that we are worthy enough to have her fight on our side."

"So, what are we going to do, Boss?" asked Chameleon, impersonating an old fashioned looking mobster.

"I don't know," was the response.

X

The Ducks were gathered around Canard in the equipment training room.

"I'm not sure what you all have been doing before or after the defeat of Dragaunus, but we are gonna start on a clean slate."

Canard paused , glancing over at Nosedive, who was watching Wildwing from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm gonna make sure you learn to pay attention!" Nosedive looked up. "I'm gonna make sure you achieve you highest physical state. I'm gonna train you in weaponry. I'm gonna push you to your maximum. No wimps allowed."

Nosedive swallowed nervously. Somehow, he felt as if the speech was all for him.

With a quick glance, Nosedive checked out the reactions of his team mates. Grin was sitting still with the usual far away look in his eyes. Mallory was at attention, military instincts kicking in. Duke stared with growing interest. Wing looked a bit downcast. Tanya didn't look so confident.

"Bored with what I have to say, kid?" Canard's voice came through.

"Uh, no, Canard!" replied Nosedive, hastily.

"That's 'Captain' to you!" reprimanded Canard.

"Yes, Captain. I mean, no, Captain," Nosedive amended.

"Among this team we must show respect to each other. We will know each other's weaknesses and strengths, offering the proper back up.

"Not only will our training be on the battlefields, but on ice as well. I want us to be number one, undefeated, no ties. There will be no forfeits nor no-shows."

Canard paused. "Do I make myself clear?"

A chorus of "Yes, Captain," filled the air.

X

"I could rob something. But what?"

Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege watched as Dragaunus paced across the room.

"I know," he said. "We need some temporary power, and Helen's Hi-Tech Corporation is researching some new powerful generators. We could steal those to power up the Raptor until we get our claws on some Bullerian crystals."

The three henchmen glanced at each other.

"You know? I think he's reaching now," commented Chameleon.

"Yeah. Just to impress that Saurian witch," added Siege.

X

Nightbloom watched the monitors. She could see Dragaunus pacing the room. She could also see that his three henchmen didn't like the way their leader was beginning to act.

"You three are smarter than you look," she said. "Too bad that's as far as you get."

X

Nosedive shook his head, trying to get rid of the stars that were dancing in front of his eyes. Instead it got worse.

"C'mon, kid," said Canard. "Get up! You've only hit me four times while I've put you on the mat five."

The dizziness went away, replaced by frustration and anger. He got up and began swinging furiously.

Canard blocked and dodged each of Nosedive's throws.

"C'mon, squirt. You can do better than that! You fight like a hatchling! You think your mouth and wit can save you in battle? On a one on one confrontation? I'm going easy on you! You've got the protective gear and gloves. I've just got the gloves! And your method is messy."

Nosedive took another hard swing. Canard moved to the side, and the younger duck lost his balance and crashed to the floor.

"Pathetic," muttered Canard. "This boxing match is over for now, rookie. Give me five laps, fifty push-ups, and fifty sit-ups."

"I'm not some rookie!" snapped Nosedive.

"Six, sixty, and sixty," growled canard.

"Hey, wait-a-minute!"

"Seven, seventy and seventy. Keep talking if you want to do more."

Nosedive huffed and stalked away, heading to the side of the training room to begin his seven laps.

Running around the room twice was the equivalent of a mile. Three miles and a half was no biggie for him, if it weren't for all the pain his body was feeling now.

He never recalled having so many bruises in his life!

As he ran around the room, he looked at his team mates. Seemed they were having it easier. Sure he critiqued everyone, but Nosedive felt as if he were the favorite of Canard's to get bashed.

Canard had Duke working on his speed and stealth by going through an obstacle course of trip wires, sensory motion detectors, and laser beams that stung. Duke just needed to be a bit more acrobatic, but he was doing fine. It took Duke fifteen minutes to run through the course, which included opening two locks, one old fashioned and the other electronic, shimmy under low laser beams, and make his way through the motion detectors. Then he had to run through a forest of blocks that had trip wires scattered throughout. Some with booby traps.

Canard was trying to get Duke to complete the course in ten minutes. Nosedive assumed it was possible.

Canard had Tanya working on strength and building things quickly. She wasn't trained to fight, but leg and arm muscles were handy. Her little course consisted of building traps, which were used for the other's obstacle courses, and disarming traps she hadn't built or even seen before.

Canard would also damage a weapon and time her to see how long it took her to repair it.

"What if the trigger gets jammed in the middle of a shoot out with the Saurians?" he had asked. "You need to be able to fix it quickly or else you're stuck without it."

Mallory, having been trained in the military, was improving her aim as well as learning a bit of machinery. She also sparred with Canard, and both of them ended on the mat an equal number of times. Seemed she was Canard's pride and joy of the team.

Wildwing was training in everything, running the courses with his team mates. He also helped teach self defense alongside Canard. They both came up with ideas for the courses. He was more of second in command now.

Grin seemed to have it the easiest. Canard was just testing the range of his strength, having him break boards of various thickness, and bending metal. He also was improving on speed.

Nosedive slowed down a bit on his last two laps.

Part of the reason had to do with his body wanting to quit, the other because his mind was focusing on other things rather that what he was suppose to be doing now.

Oh, hockey pucks! Seemed everyone was working on their special talent except for him. And why was that? Because he had none.

X

Lord Dragaunus set down a map. "This is Helen's Hi-Tech Corporation. There are three floors that are open to the public, one basement, and two more floors underneath that that are secret labs.

"The generators are currently being worked on in the lowest floor." Dragaunus looked up at his henchmen. "These generators are suppose to be able to power a whole city for hours on rocket fuel. Until we find some crystals, these just might serve their purpose with the Raptor."

"But, Boss," said Chameleon. "What about security?"

"There's motion detectors outside the door, other doors that shut close, and knockout gas traps. Nothing we can't handle. We'll just go in and come right back out. The most important thing is that we take out night security before they can set off any alarms."

Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith looked at each other. Wasn't this how most of their previous plans were suppose to go?

"If you say so," said Siege.

X

Nosedive gasped for breath as he finished his seventieth sit-up. His muscles were really protesting against this torture now.

He struggled up and headed over to the showers, which unfortunately led him past Canard who was saying something to Mallory.

Nosedive watched with mild interest. Mallory stood about ten yards away from Canard who stood in front of a target in humanoid form. It had an inch wide circle on its chest.

"You need to relax a bit and feel more confident about your aim," he was saying sternly.

"Sir, I am confident about my aim. I don't understand the need to be relaxed when handling a firearm."

"If you were confident, you wouldn't be so tense, and you would get a perfect score."

Nosedive reached Canard and hesitated. He wasn't sure if it was safe to pass. A quick glance from Canard told him not yet.

"Nine out of ten isn't enough, Mallory. Set your gun to stun."

Mallory, doing as she was told, replied in a slightly offended voice. "With all due respect, sir, nine out of ten is good enough for the military."

"Is it good enough for you?" Canard nodded for Nosedive to pass.

"Yes it is, sir."

Canard moved swiftly, grabbing Nosedive as he passed by.

Before Mallory or Nosedive knew what was happening, Canard had an arm around Nosedive's neck, a small deflector shield over Canard's face, and a puck launcher pressed into Nosedive's back.

Needless to say, both younger ducks were stunned.

"I'm a perp who just took an innocent civilian hostage. I'm threatening to kill him. Mallory, you've only got one shot to stop me from doing that."

Mallory nervously raised her gun, understanding why Canard wanted her to switch it to stun.

Canard was using Nosedive as a shield. Only half of his face was visible.

She aimed.

Nosedive looked like he was mumbling a prayer.

"C'mon, Mallory. Aim at my face and fire. It will disable the shield. Unless, of course, you hit Nosedive instead. Then you'll stun him."

Nosedive looked at her with large frightened eyes.

Mallory's gun wavered. "I can't," she said, furious with herself. She lowered her weapon. She couldn't risk missing this time and hitting Dive.

"Bang," said Canard, releasing Nosedive. "He's dead. Tell me, Mallory. . . is nine out of ten still good enough for you?"

"No, sir," she sighed in defeat.

"And you, kid, should have fought the moment I grabbed you! " Canard yelled at Nosedive, who was still processing what had just happened. "If I were a Saurian, you would have been dead on the spot. Two laps, twenty and twenty, then hit the showers."

Nosedive suppressed the whimper that rose in his throat. He was tired! With a curt nod, he headed to the edge of the room to do his last, hopefully, two loops of the day. He blinked away the tears of frustration that threatened to fall.

"Sir?" questioned Mallory. "Aren't you being a little hard on Dive?"

Canard glared at her. "Practice some more, relaxed yet focused on your shots." He walked away.

Mallory raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She then went back to her shooting practice.

X

"Well, what do you think?" asked Lord Dragaunus to Nightbloom. He had just finished going over his plans in detail.

"I think you should leave me out of this, Sir," Nightbloom replied coldly. "I am observing you, therefore I won't help you in any way which includes approving or disapproving your ideas. Do as you wish."

Dragaunus bit back a growl. This Saurian was infuriating!

"Fine," was all he said, before storming out of the room.

Nightbloom remained alone.

A tiny smirk formed on her lips. "Ah, Dragaunus," she purred in an almost evil way. "If that is the extent of all your plans, then maybe the Ducks aren't as challenging as you make them out to be. Either that or you have luck on your side."

X

"That's strange," said Tanya with a small frown, staring at the monitor of Drake 1.

"What is it?" asked Canard.

"A silent alarm went off for about two seconds and then stopped right here." Tanya pushed a few buttons and a spot on the map zoomed in. "There! Helen's Hi-Tech Corporation."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"They deal mostly with finding efficient energy sources."

"And I bet Dragaunus has something to do with that. Ducks, let's roll!"

X

"Haul these over there. We need to group them all together," said Dragaunus, still a bit sore about tripping the alarm. Thankfully, they were able to shut it off and convince the dispatcher that called that it a false alarm. Chameleon, however, was prepared to impersonate the security officer if an officer should pass by to check things out.

"We've just got these two," said Siege.

"And they're staying there as well," said a strange yet familiar voice.

"I thought you were dead!" exclaimed Chameleon.

"Canard!" hissed Dragaunus, eyes blazing. Despite the mask the duck was wearing, he could recognize that posture anywhere.

"I think the odds against us just got worse," drawled Wraith, raising his staff.

"Then let's even them," growled Dragaunus.

With a shout, the Saurians charged, pulling out their blasters.

Wraith fired a fireball at the ducks.

They scattered out of the way.

Wildwing and Nosedive fired their puck launchers then moved out of the way.

The fireball exploded mid-air as the pucks hit it dead center.

"Careful!" shouted Tanya. "There may be highly combustible fuel in there!"

The Ducks backed out of the lab, hoping to draw out the Saurians. The space outside the lab was large and it seemed like a warehouse. It was also the perfect place for a fight.

The Saurians followed them, thinking that they were retreating.

Once in the open, the Saurians realized their error. By then, Duke had circled around and shut the lab door behind them. Dragaunus found himself surrounded by ducks.

Wraith pointed his staff to the floor and a blast of smoke rose into the air.

"On your guard!" came Wildwing's voice.

Grin suddenly found himself grappling with Siege. Wildwing and Canard were up against Dragaunus, who was holding well on his own.

Tanya and Mallory found themselves fighting Chameleon who had transformed himself as a large body builder.

Duke battled against Wraith, staff against sword.

Nosedive was left alone, which made him more eager to join the battle. He desperately wanted to prove himself to Canard. But how?

That's when he noticed that Grin was about to back into some low boxes.

"Grin! Look out!" he warned.

He was too late. Grin tripped and fell on his back. Siege moved forward, laser blaster in hand.

In the meantime, a well timed sweep of his tail, Dragaunus sent Wildwing and Canard crashing to the floor.

As Wildwing struggled to stand up, he could see Grin's predicament. Grin was on his back with Siege towering over him.

Then he saw Nosedive making a very reckless move.

Wildwing watched in shock as his brother leapt onto the back of Siege.

"Nosedive! No!"

"Wing!" shouted Canard, as Dragaunus's tail headed towards him a second time.

At that moment, Chameleon had transformed again into an alien looking thing with four arms. It took Tanya by surprise and one arm knocked her to the side.

She crashed into the back of Wraith, and in turn knocked into Duke.

Mallory was holding off Chameleon's punches with a wooden board that was beginning to crack.

Siege tried shaking Nosedive off of his back. He spun around.

Nosedive felt himself losing his grip and then went airborne. He landed hard against a wall. As he steadied himself, his hand hit some type of lever.

"Whoops!" he let out as the lever went down.

Sirens began to blare and large metal gates began closing around them.

White colored gas blaster through some air vents near the floor, clouding the room.

"Retreat!" shouted Dragaunus. A few seconds later, the four Saurians disappeared in a green flash.

"Grin! The door!' shouted Canard.

Grin stopped the nearest door from closing.

"Everyone out!" ordered Canard, as Grin held the doors open.

Nosedive, who was closest to the blast of gas, made it halfway through the room before falling into an unconscious heap on the floor.

With a frustrated growl, Canard took a deep breath of fresh air and went back in to get Nosedive. He picked up the younger duck, holding him in his arms like the child he was and carried him out.

"You're gonna regret that move when you wake up, kid," said Canard.

X

"Well, well, well. . . If it isn't the feathered. . . what the? Another one!" Klegghorn's voice bellowed out.

"Detective Klegghorn! Uh, this is Canard, official team Captain," said Wildwing.

"What's with the kid?" the detective asked gruffily, as Canard passed Nosedive to Grin, who then took him into the Migrator.

"Knockout gas from the security traps.," replied Wildwing.

"And just what were you doing in there?"

Wildwing sighed. Some things never seemed to change.

"Dragaunus and his goons were trying to steal some prototype generators."

"What! You mean to tell me that those lizards are still around!"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Swell," vented Klegghorn. "This time, call me for back up. Crime rate went down since they disappeared. And I'm not going to have them trying to take over my city!"

Wildwing raised an eyebrow. Maybe some things did change after all.

X

Dragaunus threw one of his robots against the wall with a mighty roar.

"Curse those ducks!" he shouted. "And how in the world did Canard get free from the worm!"

Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith wisely stayed away from their boss.

Dragaunus stopped in mid rant, smoke coming out from his nostrils. Nightbloom had entered the room.

"I saw it all," she said in a calm and deadly voice.

"What? . . . how?"

"I have my methods." She walked to the center of the room. "You had your chance to show your abilities. Now it is time for me to see how well the Mighty Ducks compare to you."

"But . . ." began Dragaunus.

A thick swirling cloud of grey mist wrapped around Nightbloom. It dissolved and cleared away, leaving no trace of the Saurian.

Dragaunus roared again.

To be continued . . .

**In the Next Episode of The Mighty Ducks . . .**

Yellow eyes narrowed as the duck named Canard yelled at the duckling named Nosedive.

Did he have no honor? Even she could see the potential the young duck had.

Canard went crashing down as he slipped on mustard.

"I'm gonna kill that kid brother of yours!" he bellowed as Wildwing helped him up.

Duke saw stars as he slammed into the ice.

"Oh!" exclaimed the sports announcer. "That must've hurt! And the ref calls foul! And I'm not talking about poultry, people!"


	3. The Return of Canard Part 3

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: A thwarted robbery and a game. Nightbloom makes her decision.

The Return of Canard (and Dragaunus) Part 3

Nosedive skated to the edge of the rink and picked up his water bottle. He took a sip and put it down, knowing that it wasn't a good idea to fill up when working out.

Catching his breath, he stared back at the other ducks on the ice. Seemed that even there Canard was a tyrant. Well, at least in his opinion. Duke said he was tough and Mallory said that he was just acting like the military leader he's suppose to be. Grin kept silent and Tanya didn't have an opinion. As long as Canard had her working with electronic equipment, she was happy. As for Wildwing, some days he looked happy working with Canard, and then there were a few times when he looked too serious.

Still, Nosedive would have been happier if Wing was still in charge. Then again, his opinion could be biased.

"While you each play your own positions well," Canard's voice broke through. "I don't want you to keep playing that position. If one of you become injured. . ." A glance at Nosedive. "You'll need to know his place well enough to take his place. So for the next forty-five minutes, we're going to rotate your positions. Grin, you'll be goalie this time. Dive, defense. Mallory forward. You're against Tanya, goalie, Wildwing, defense, and Duke, forward. We'll swap positions after every fifteen minutes."

Nosedive rolled his eyes with a small groan. He tried to prepare himself mentally. Attack was his best tactic, he knew that. Defense, that was something else. Although he was sure Wing would appreciate that.

No more worries about his little bro being unable to defend himself cause he was too busy rushing into things. Hah!

"C'mon, everybody on the ice!" Canard yelled.

All the ducks gathered onto the center of the ice before breaking into their groups of three. None of them were aware that they were being watched.

X

Ninety feet above the ice, the announcer's box was occupied. The lights were off, so no one could see through the one way mirrors on the outside. One gloved hand flicked on a few switches, and several monitors turned on, providing close-ups on the hockey players below.

Another hand switched a button, and their voices came through softly through the speakers.

Yellow eyes glanced over to the windows, looking at the figures below. According to Lord Dragaunus, Wildwing had been in charge of the ducks. Now it looked like they were going through some changes. A unified form was slowly taking place, but it appeared that a few were resistant to the change.

Nightbloom stood back, taking in all the monitors. Most of the times, fighting techniques could be learned by watching how one played.

X

Nosedive watched in apprehension as Duke made his way towards him. He's stopped Duke before, he could do it again. Only this time, there was pressure to prove to Canard that he was good at something.

Nosedive watched each move that Duke made. He could almost point out which way he was going to go to move around him. All Dive had to do was time his counter attack just right and strike the puck away from Duke.

Duke approached and feigned right, but Nosedive had caught on. However, in his overzealousness, Nosedive thrusted forward too far and too fast, barely grazing the puck before landing on his face.

Duke stopped and headed back to the younger duck.

"What'smatter, kid? You usually play better than this?" he asked, concern lacing the older duck's voice.

"What the heck was that?" roared Canard, causing both ducks to flinch.

Nosedive stood up with the help of Duke.

"Sheesh, kid!"

Nosedive winced. Somehow, when Duke said "kid," it sounded like an affectionate nickname; Canard made it sound like something filthy.

"Is that how you play?" Canard continued.

"No, sir," responded Nosedive, sullenly.

"Yeah, right! If this is how you continue in practice, you'll be sitting on the bench for the next game!"

Nosedive looked up at him in shock. "But I can play! Just ask Wing!" Nosedive glanced at his brother, silently pleading for him to back him up. Instead, he got a small frown and a shake of a head from his brother. Needless to say, Nosedive felt crushed. He struggled not to show it.

Duke, feeling sorry for the teen and disturbed by Wing's lack of support, opened his mouth to say something in Dive's defense. However, a stern look from Mallory kept him silent, but frustrated.

Grin stayed back by the goalie's net, wondering when all this bad karma that was building up was going to end.

Tanya looked on feeling uncomfortable, not too sure with what had been happening to her team mates.

"It doesn't matter who you ask, Nosedive," growled Canard. "What matters is how I see you play! I'm really hoping that this isn't your best, otherwise I'm surprised that you haven't cost a game to the Mighty Ducks."

Nosedive bit back a retort he wanted to say. This was getting old. But he didn't want to do anymore series of laps, push ups and sit ups.

"I promise you that I do play well, sir. I'm just not, uh, feeling my best."

"Oh?" Canard stared at him with unconcerned eyes.

"But I know that that doesn't provide a good enough excuse for my performance," Nosedive finished weakly, lowering his eyes.

Behind him, Duke and Grin exchanged looks. Nosedive was beginning to loose his spunk.

X

Nightbloom narrowed her eyes in anger. Did this duck have no honor? Surely he could see the potential that the duckling had.

"Ah, Dragaunus. How pitiful you must be if you can't fight a team that has a child in it. A duckling that hasn't even lost his primary plumage." Her eyes looked back at the lonesome duckling skating back into his position. She clicked a few buttons, getting the cameras to zoom in and focus on Nosedive.

She could tell that he had enthusiasm. She could almost feel the energy from where she was. But enthusiasm like that didn't last long if it wasn't fed properly or if it were constantly dismissed. Even stone cliffs wore down with the constant crashing of the waves. And volcanoes erupted from the building pressures of energy trapped within.

"In time, Duckling, with the proper training, you will be a worthy adversary. Or a perfect tool."

Still, he was not the reason she was here today. No. She was on the look out for the key stone that held the bridge known as "team" together. Had the duck named Nosedive been higher in rank, he may have been it. But seeing how he was treated, he was obviously considered the lowest ranking member and would currently be best considered a weak link.

Nightbloom watched the screens, settling her sights on the female named Mallory. She was a strong player, and based on her personal information, trained in all forms of combat for military reasons. However, that was all she was. A soldier. Definitely not the link she was looking for. Mallory obeyed orders, nothing more. If she were eliminated, the Might Ducks would just lose an extra body.

Nightbloom focused on the other female, Tanya. She was also a good player on the team, being unafraid of physical pain if she played so willingly on the ice. But judging by her reactions to the small dispute Nosedive and Canard were in, she was not one to deal with emotions very well. According to her files, Tanya was more into scientific purposes, and mechanical engineering. While technology was important, eliminating Tanya would not be such a blow to the team. If anything, the Saurian Code lived on with little technology for over a thousand years. They knew how to operate the most complicated of systems, but within their own personal lives, anything not powered by nature or magic was almost considered a sin.

That in mind, the Saurian focused on Grin. He was a large duck, full of brute strength, and strangely enough, a philosophical mind. But she dismissed him almost immediately. This was one team that did not focus on strength. To these ducks, it seemed that brain mattered over brawn, and if that were the case, it would explain their constant success in stopping Dragaunus. Grin was just useful for the small cases in which muscle was needed. And from personal experience, brains were needed even then to figure out when and how to use muscle.

Duke skated past one of the screens. Nightbloom watched as he passed Mallory and Nosedive with speed and agility. He was one to adapt well with change. According to his files, Duke use to be a thief, and a notorious one at that. Yet, Canard had chosen him to join the group. His skills were useful as Nightbloom had them as well. But she felt a small seed of hostility coming from Mallory. Seemed with her righteous training in law and order, she was unsure of Duke's position. The duck acted like she had accepted him fully, but one cannot lie to an aura reader. While Duke could cause a rift among the team members should he be eliminated or if she were able to cast a shadow of doubt over him, the rift wouldn't last for long. After all, hadn't that happened with the one named Falcone?

Soon she set her eyes on Canard and Wildwing. Two leaders for a great team. Destroying one will only allow the other to take his place. In this case, it seemed that there was no specific keystone to the team. However, sometimes the keystone did not have to be taken out to weaken the bridge.

She had noticed the difference between the leaders. Canard demanded perfection, which was something that was meant for divine beings only. Wildwing asked for their best, a more reachable goal, and one that wasn't too far away. Canard was strict with a military past. Wildwing was more lax, having been thrown into the role of leader and earning the trust and to trust his team members.

A small smile appeared on Nightbloom's face as a thought dawned on her. Now why hadn't she thought of that before. Everyone kept looking at Wildwing, as a confirmation to everything Canard said. Duke appeared disappointed when Wildwing refused to intervene with the dispute against Nosedive and Canard. Even Tanya and Grin appeared troubled by the fact. If anything, it seemed that Wildwing was the unspoken true leader for the team. As for Nosedive, she had felt something breaking. Then she realized what it was and mentally began checking her files.

If she remembered right, Nosedive and Wildwing were brothers, and an unique pair at that. The bond between then was strong, which explained why they were still together. Had the bond between them been that of a normal siblings, chances would be that Nosedive would have stayed in Puckworld with his parents.

Yet, he was here, following his brother along with the rest of the team.

As for Wildwing, he had taken Canard's place when the duck had gone MIA. During that time, he proved himself over and over again.

Destroying Wildwing would make him a martyr, something that Dragaunus could not afford. He would be attacked endlessly from the need of revenge. However, if Dragaunus could destroy Wildwing emotionally and mentally, the bridge would weaken, resulting in the downfall of the ducks.

Nightbloom began to turn off the cameras, monitors, and the speakers. Now it was time to view the ducks in battle.

X

Phil Palmfeather was upstairs trying to find some of his folders that he had misplaced. He was trying to organize another publicity affair to show off his newest team player.

"Was it in the box? Yeah, I think so!"

Phil reached the announcers box and put his hand on the door knob. A flash of light shone underneath the cracks of the doors. He paused, unsure whether he wanted to proceed or not.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door, ready to yells his lungs out for help.

The door creaked open. The room remained quiet and dark. With trembling hands, he flipped on the light switch. The room remained empty.

Phil let out a sigh of relief. "I've been with the ducks too long!" he said to himself, as he spied his folder on the floor. Reaching down to pick it up, he failed to notice a thin purple mist disipitating in the corner of the room.

X

The day was shining brightly at Jolly Jake's Golf-o-Rama. The trees were green and full as hordes of people gathered round a large banner saying "Mighty Ducks!" Underneath the banner was a tent and three tables. People lined up at each table.

At the first table, Canard, Wildwing, and Nosedive sat down, signing autographs or handing out autographed pictures of themselves, and posing.

Next to them sat Mallory and Tanya, giggling like school girls as the guys who approached them tried flirting with them. Truthfully, the female ducks were trying to be polite, although Mallory became riled up a couple of times.

At their left sat Duke and Grin, with Duke charming all the grown ladies, earning several smiles and blushes with his smooth talk. Several of the other ladies earned several blushes from Grin wanting to feel his muscles.

"You're right. Phil does pick the strangest of places for PR," said Canard, signing off another photo.

"Yeah, but you get use to it," replied Wildwing.

"I'll say," said Canard, nodding towards Nosedive, who had an arm around the waist of a girl for a photo shot. Right before the camera button was pressed, the girl turned and gave Nosedive a kiss on the cheek.

Wildwing smiled and shook his head. If anything, his little brother was popular with the adolescent girls.

Nosedive signed the girl's autograph book with flourish.

"Wow! So you're the new duck," said some pimply faced boy with glasses as he approached Canard. He handed a Canard a team photo. "So when are more babes coming from your planet," the kid asked.

Canard looked up an caught the boy looking over at Mallory and Tanya's table. He let out a laugh. "Good question, kid. I'm sure you'll be the first to know."

A chorus of sighs redirected their attention back to Nosedive as a group of three girls gathered around him for a picture.

"You know, sometimes I really hate him," said the boy.

"I can see why."

X

Phil stood next to a man dressed in neon colored clothing.

"Thank you so much, Philly boy!"

"Boobala, it was all I could do!"

"This is a win win situation for the both of us. You get to show off your new duck while I get to show off my new miniature golf park!" The paunchy man grasped Phil by the shoulder and made a sweeping motion over the land of the park. "Just imagine, you and I working together. We could start a franchise and bring in lots of dough. Every time I open a new park, the Ducks could come out! With a nice check written out to you, of course."

The sound of money could be heard as Phil's eyes grew bright with delight.

X

"Another golf park," grumbled Duke, quickly smiling as another picture of him was thrust into his hands.

"Won't Phil ever learn that parks bring bad luck?"

"Negative thoughts result in negative outcomes," replied Grin, earning a confused look from the older duck.

"I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic!"

They were interrupted by sounds of gunfire and screams coming from a nearby diner.

"See what I mean?"

All seven ducks jumped from their chairs and raced to the diner, changing into their battle gear without a second thought. They were about to burst through the doors when Canard and Wildwing stopped them. "Wait! We have to plan this quickly and catch them by surprise. We'll split up and come in through different directions."

"This place has six different ways to get in. Through the three entrance doors, the employees' door, the basement and the roof."

"I'll get the roof!" said Nosedive.

"I'll go with you," growled Canard. "Wing, you take the east entrance, Tanya west, Mallory north, Grin, basement, and Duke, the south. I'll signal you when you're all in place and the timing is right."

With one quick nod, the ducks moved to get into their positions. Mallory crouched next to the front entrance door. Tanya and Wildwing did the same at the place. Duke stood against the employees' door, sword out, ready to cut the door open. Grin yanked the basement door open and proceeded to go downstairs.

Nosedive and Canard used the dumpster next to the wall to climb up onto the roof. Nosedive gave a weak smile as Duke gave him a thumbs up and mouthed the words "good luck."

Canard and Nosedive stood at the edge, looking at the center were a glass pane was built to let sunlight in. Nosedive began to slowly make his way towards the center.

"Nosedive, get back here!" hissed Canard. "We have a change of plans. This roof doesn't look very stable."

"Relax, Canard," replied Nosedive. "What idiot would keep a building with an unstable roof for a diner full of people?"

A sharp cracking sound made him regret his words. "Oh, wait. A cheap friend of Phil's, of course," he answered himself, staring at the numerous cracks that appeared under his feet.

"Call my lawyer!" he shouted, as the roof gave way.

Canard stood momentarily stunned as his friend's little brother disappeared through the roof.

"We have a situation!" he shouted into his comm. "Attack!"

Meanwhile, on the floor, Nosedive found himself staring at the ends of seven types of guns being held by seven tall and muscular guys. "Oh, boy." he muttered to himself.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" said the shortest, but most muscular of the bunch.

"Looks like a dead duck, Shyster," replied another with a grin.

The sounds of breaking glass and doors interrupted the men who were pointing their weapons at the young duck. The people they had been holding hostage ran out screaming and crying. In a matter of moments, there was chaos.

Each men broke off to fight with each duck the moment the one named Shyster said "Fight back!"

He reached down and yanked Nosedive up. Then he began to pull the young duck into the back room.

Wildwing, seeing the danger his young brother was in, fought his hardest to get rid of the man fighting with him. However, the man was quick and strong, and dodged almost all of Wildwing's moves.

Canard was attempting to help Nosedive as well, but a large hairy brute stood in his way, using his rifle as a bat.

Grin was the only one making any progress with his opponent, being that he was twice the size of the guy. He quickly disarmed the man and headed over to the leader and Dive, only to be thwarted by the big guy that had been fighting with Canard. Canard was on the floor, trying to clear the stars he was seeing from the blow he had received to the side of his head.

"Dive!" shouted Wing, as his brother and the leader disappeared through the back room's door.

X

Nightbloom watched everything that was happening through one of the monitors inside the Migrator. It had been connected to the signals from the diner's security cams. While security system was excellent, it did not stop a member of the Saurian Code from entering. Her eyes tracked each movement as she rolled a small stone in her fingers.

A few seconds later she closed her hands in a tight fist. When she opened them, the stone was inside a charm in the shape of an ancient dragon's head.

As she watched Duke swipe his sword at one of the thug's uzis, she strung the charm onto a thick black string.

She then proceeded to turn off everything that wasn't on when she first got in.

Stepping out, she glanced at the diner. Spectators stood around, unsure if this was another publicity stunt or the real thing. No one was aware of the Suarian as she walked past the migrator. She looked at the necklace she had made, then dropped it on the floor.

It was time to view what was going on from a different place.

X

Nosedive struggled against the guy who held him. He elbowed Shyster in the ribs and was promptly released. As the leader cursed and drew up his gun, Nosedive grabbed the nearest thing he could find and swung it at the crook. It turned out to be a heavy bag of flour.

White powder went everywhere, providing cover for the duck. Nosedive ran back through the doors with the bad guy right behind him.

Ignoring the chaos in front of him, Nosedive grabbed a bottle of ketchup and mustard from a nearby table. "Take that!" he shouted, turning around and squeezing both bottles.

"Argh!" the man cried out in anger, as he brought up his hands to wipe his eyes. "I'll kill you for that!"

"I don't think so," said Dive, tackling the man. They both crashed into a table, sending plates of burgers, fries, and soups flying into the air.

Mallory, in the meantime, was about to gain the upperhand when a bowl of chili landed on her head. The person she was fighting with immediately took advantage of the position and knocked her off her feet. "If that guy doesn't kill him, I will!" growled Mallory, referring to Nosedive.

Wildwing was still struggling against his opponent, and the burger that pegged him didn't help either.

Nosedive let out a victorious cry as he came across a pie. He swiped it off the diner's counter top and proceeded to smash it up Shyster's face. The leader, more furious than before, kicked at Dive, sending the duck crashing into a vat of dilled pickles in the corner. The barrel broke as gallons of pickle juice sloshed everywhere. Pickles rolled, getting under everyone's foot.

Nosedive shook his head and felt his hand land on something metallic. Glancing down, he saw that it was the metal ring that held the boards on the barrel together. Another plan came to his mind as he jumped to his feet.

Meanwhile, thanks to the pickles, Wildwing and Tanya's opponents had landed on their backs and knocked themselves out cold. Tanya hurried to Mallory's side while Wildwing went to Canard and Grin. Within a matter of seconds, both attackers were subdued. With that taken care of, Mallory and Tanya went to the aid of Duke.

Canard and Wildwing were prepared to help Dive when they noticed that he was done. At his feet sat the leader, a metal ring around his arms, entire upper body covered in food products.

Canard took a step forward, stepping on some mustard and pickle juice. Wildwing watched in shock as Canard came crashing down onto his back.

Duke burst out laughing, ignoring the dirty look that Mallory was giving him.

"I'm gonna kill that kid brother of yours!" Canard roared as Wildwing helped him up.

"Huh?" Nosedive looked up in surprise. What had he done wrong now?

"If he had paid attention, we wouldn't have lost the element of surprise!"

"I don't know," muttered Duke. "I think they were plenty surprised. I know we were."

"Nosedive, why don't you wait by the Migrator," said Wildwing, hoping to calm down Canard a bit, away from his little brother's presence.

"But. . ."

"Now, Dive."

Nosedive took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. He walked past the other ducks, wiping off the flour and pickle juice from his forehead.

"I stopped the guy, didn't I?" he asked no one in particular as he made his way to the Migrator. With a sigh he dropped himself against the side of the vehicle, sitting down in the shade. He saw a couple of police cruisers arriving at the diner. He smirked, recognizing one of the cars. Klegghorn was gonna blow a gasket when he saw the mess inside the diner.

The smirk immediately faded as he realized that that was probably the reason he was in trouble.

Looking down, something glittery caught his attention. He reached over to pick it up. He stared with curiosity at the gold chain in his hand. A green tinted glass ball in a three fingered gold claw hung at the end. In the center was a dark mass, almost like a silloutte of a wispy flame. It almost begged for him to put it on. So he did. A strange feeling came over him, then it was gone. Shaking his head, he looked up at the diner, spotting several of the gang's members being put into the back of the police cruisers. He unconsciously rubbed the charm with his fingers, not noticing the small glow that it was emitting.

X

"Unbelievable," said Klegghorn, taking in the view.

"Sorry about the mess, Captain," said Wildwing, preparing himself for an outburst.

"Mess? This is a catastrophe! But that's not what I'm referring to."

"You're not?"

"No. I'm referring to that!" Klegghorn pointed over to the man that was still being held by a metal ring. "You telling me that the kid went against him and survived?"

"What do you mean?"

"That is Jacob Shyster, gun for hire as well as terrorist, assassin, and everything else that is a federal crime! He was trained in the military, top secret agencies and things like that. There was only one survivor of people who went up against him, and that guy's in a mental ward."

Wildwing felt as if the floor dropped from underneath him. His brother had gone against an extremely dangerous criminal and stopped him by pure dumb luck?!

Canard stared at the criminal who was shouting promises of getting revenge against Dive. "That kid's got luck on his side. That's the only explanation."

"Whatever the reason, tell the kid congratulations. My men have been after this guy for years! And don't worry, we won't let him out of our sight."

"Uh, don't you need our statement?"

"Later. I know where to find you. Why don't you go home and rest. Dealing with Jacob and his squad of gorillas is enough to tire anyone out."

The ducks slowly left the building.

"You're still gonna punish Nosedive, aren't you?" asked Duke to Canard, an accusing tone underneath.

"Why not?" responded Canard. "Not only did the kid not listen to me when I called him back, but he put himself in a situation that could have gotten him killed!"

"And resulted in you being in pickle juice," added Wildwing.

"That isn't an issue," growled Canard.

Wildwing raised an eyebrow.

"Fine. The kid did manage to stop the terrorist, though his methods are questionable. I won't punish him, but he's still getting a lecture from me."

Duke gave Wildwing a small smile. It certainly was a start.

X

"We will, we will rock you!"

The roar of people singing, clapping, and stomping always set the adrenaline pumping in athletes. The Ducks were no exception to the feeling.

"Are we in for a treat tonight, ladies and gents," said the sports announcer. "It's the Mighty Ducks playing against the new Florida Cats. As we all know, the Cats have been off to a rocky start with several suspensions and ejections so early in the season. We'll find out if they have cleaned up their act. As for the Ducks, we have a new player, folks, and the name is Canard!"

People cheered loudly as Canard stepped onto the ice, followed by the rest of the team. They began skating in a circle, warming up.

On the other side of the arena, a group in red was also doing the same thing.

"These guys don't look like they've cleaned up," muttered Duke.

"They look ready to maul someone," agreed Mallory.

Their opponents kept glaring at them, and they couldn't shake the feeling that these players would rather have ducks for dinner than play against them.

"All right, listen up," said Canard. "We'll play your normal positions for this game. I'll play next period taking center. For now, I want to watch you guys play. Got it?"

"Ay, ay capitano!" said Nosedive, momentarily forgetting who he was speaking to. "I mean, sir."

Canard grinned. "I'll let it pass this time. All this excitement is enough to make anyone forget himself."

"Then let's go for it," cheered Mallory.

"Ducks rock!"

X

Nightbloom stood high in the rafters, watching the ducks in action. The lights were below her so no one was able to spot her through the glare.

She turned her attention to a small crystal ball in her hand. She watched as a Florida Cat came charging towards it. She glanced down again in time to see Nosedive dodge the player.

She continued to watch in her calm state, reflecting back to the practice she had seen earlier that day. Through her crystal ball and with an enchanted charm, she was able to see how hard the duck named Canard drove his team players. Personally, she found it as a waste of energy. Practice was good, but Canard was over doing it. It was starting to show, especially on the young duck.

She had watched previous taped games and seen how fast he was and how he had always been the one to put the Ducks in the lead. Along with his brother to keep the opposing team from scoring, they won just about every game.

An alarm went sounding as a puck made it's way into the Cats' goalie net.

"And the Ducks are in the lead, an excellent pass by Nosedive to Duke which gave him an open for the shot. I must say, Nosedive has come a long way from when he first started. He is acting more like a team player, knowing when another team mate will have a better chance at making the goal."

"Yap, yap, yap," muttered Nosedive, his voice coming clearly through the crystal ball. "I wasn't that bad."

"That's what you think," teased Duke, skating past him.

"Hey! I've always been a team player!"

Nightbloom continued to watch.

X

The game went on finishing it's first twenty minutes. During the duration, Nosedive scored one goal, but missed three. Then he got in the way of Grin as he tried to steal the puck away from one of the Cats' players.

The Cat's ended up scoring a goal.

Wildwing was shocked. He had never let a puck go pass him like that before.

That goal made the Florida Cat's act more aggressive.

At one point Duke saw stars when someone elbowed him in the head, sending him crashing to to the floor.

"Oh, that must have hurt!" said the announcer. "And the ref calls foul, and we're not talking poultry, people!"

Another player checked Nosedive against the boards. Nosedive went down, almost positive that he had felt the hockey stick being jabbed into his ribs.

"I really hate this," he muttered, realizing that the referee hadn't seen the move.

He pulled away from the boards and promptly received the puck from Duke.

"Kid, this way!" Duke shouted, setting himself up for another pass. Nosedive began to skate towards him until he caught sight of the Cat's defender.

He panicked, not wanting to be slammed into the boards again.

Nosedive just hit the puck in Duke's direction without aim. The Cat's center got it instead and immediately passed it up to another player.

The Ducks and Cats had tied.

"C'mon, get your act together!" shouted Canard from the side lines.

"Get your act together, dude," Dive muttered to himself. "You've been checked before. No need to be afraid." Nosedive took a look at the guy who was about as big as Grin. "Yeah, right!"

"Aack!" Mallory landed hard on the ice as on of the Cat's shoved her aside.

"I really hate this," Duke muttered, heading back towards their goal.

Grin stopped one of the Cat's, but a smaller team member ducked under him and headed towards the goal for a third time.

"Stop him!" shouted Canard.

Tanya moved towards him, but it was too late. The Cat player bounced the puck off of Wildwing's skate, and the puck went into the net, just millimeters from under Wing's glove.

First period was over and the Cats were in the lead.

X

Nightbloom watched without real interest in the game. She was more focused in how the ducks played. She could see that they were physically tired, and their endurance was waning. Had it not been for the earlier battle practice, she was sure that the Mighty Ducks would have been doing better.

Either way, for exhausted ducks, they were playing well. Most species would have collapsed by now.

"On the bench, Dive," came Canard's voice through her crystal ball.

"No, Canard! I swear I'll do better!"

"I'm taking over, Dive. You missed three goals that would have kept us in the lead."

Most species would have also begged to be pulled out of action.

X

Nosedive sat on the bench as the last two minutes of the last period were ticking away. Never had he felt so humiliated, and the feeling had increased when he spotted his face on the overhead TV screens. They had caught him ranting and raving earlier on the bench.

Further more, he could hear the voices of two sports announcers on one of the radios that some fan had behind him.

"Shame to see such a star player deteriorate so suddenly, Bob" one of voices said.

"So true, Rob. Dive's performance on the ice seems to indicate that he is burning out."

"He did have some talent, and at least managed to make a goal and an assisted goal."

"But by this time, Dive usually has three goals set in."

"However, Bob, it looks like Canard came just in time to take over Dive's place."

"In your dreams, pal," Dive muttered, not wanting to listen anymore.

People stood up and cheered as Canard scored his fourth goal.

Twenty seconds later, the final whistle sounded.

"And the Duck's win the game!"

X

Nightbloom watched as the Mighty Ducks gathered together to congratulate each other. Nosedive joined them, but with less enthusiasm. He put on a false smile as his brother draped an arm over his shoulder.

"A shame you can't see the destruction your brother is going through," she said to herself out loud. "Tell me, Wildwing... How much destruction could you handle?"

She stretched out her arm and dropped some dust. It hit the floor and then rose up in purple smoke, covering her completely. The smoke dissipitated, and Nightbloom was gone.

X

Lord Dragaunus was pacing in front of his henchrobots. "If she says she is going to help the ducks, blast her!" he told them.

"Better adversaries have tried and failed," said a female voice.

Dragaunus whirled around in surprise to face Nightbloom who was staring at him without a trace of anger.

"I have made my choice. For the time being, I will stay and watch. Any assistance will be under my terms."

A sneer formed on Dragaunus's lips.

"Good enough," he said. "Do you have anything that could help me? Can you break into their headquarters. . ."

"Under my terms, Dragaunus. And as I please. I will only offer advice and some help. And I will begin with this. There is one duck on the team that can and will bring the downfall of the Mighty Ducks. However, you must play the cards right."

"Deal away."

X

In the next Episode of Mighty Ducks

"It's like they're smothering me, man!" said Nosedive, as he plopped down an arm load of comic books on the counter.

"That is like so not cool," said Thrash.

"Yeah. And like your brother does nothing?" added Mook.

"There's a robbery going at Annehiem's Grand Bank," shouted Klegghorn into his comm unit. "Witnesses say that there's a Duck caught in the middle. Youse missing somebody?"

"Dive," whispered Wildwing, in shock.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are."

Nosedive grimaced as the man approached. He checked his puck launcher.

Empty.

"I'm roast."


	4. Lone Duck

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Dive is feeling more alienated, and the other Ducks seem to notice. But a lack of communication keeps the problems brewing, and a solitary trip to the mall lands Dive in the middle of a bank robbery.

Lone Duck

"Great job, Wildwing!" said Canard, patting the duck on the back. "See? You didn't need that much practice. You have everything pretty much down pat."

Nosedive, who was doing yet another set of sit ups, growled to himself. If anything, Canard was playing favorites and it was really beginning to bother him. _So much for being a fair leader_, he thought to himself, as he stopped mid sit-up to glare at Canard.

He automatically winced and started his situps again when Canard turned towards him and caught him glaring. Canard made his way towards Nosedive.

"What's wrong with you, Kid?"

"Nothing, sir," replied Nosedive, halting his sit ups. He got up and stood at attention.

Canard raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? It sure didn't look like nothing the way you were looking at me. Do you have some sort of problem, punk?"

Nosedive mentally counted to ten. "No, sir," he replied again, with forced politeness.

"You know, if you were half as good as Wildwing, I'm sure you could be a great asset to this team. But right now, with your attitude, this team is probably better off without you. So you better quit giving me those looks and straighten up."

"Begging your pardon, sir, but what can you do if I don't? Send me home?"

Canard's face tinged red with anger as Nosedive stared up at him defiantly.

"Get out of my sight," he hissed. "Now, before I do something I'll regret."

Nosedive turned and began to walk away from Canard, heading to the gym's doors. He pushed a button on a panel beside them. They slid open.

"Right now, you are nothing but a burden to this team!" shouted Canard. The other ducks stopped what they were doing and looked up.

Nosedive, embarrassed by the attention, kicked the doors in response as they slid shut.

Finding himself alone, he took a deep breath. With a trembling hand, he wiped his eyes and let out one small sniffle. "This bites," he muttered to himself. X

Nosedive was moving about in his room, trying to use his pent up anger and frustration positively by cleaning.

He was amazed at the number of food wrappers that had made their way under his bed. He pulled out a moldy pizza crust. "Eeww!" he said. "Dude, that's the last time I decide to clean up!"

He threw the crust into a nearby trash bin that was already overflowing with junk.

He reached under his bed one more time and pulled out a battered wallet. He let out a small gasp. "Here it is!" he whispered to himself, opening it up. He smiled when he counted through the money bills and saw that he still had the fifty dollars he had planned on spending at the comic book store.

His smile faded into a more wistful look when he saw that he still had a couple of wallet sized pictures inside as well. The pictures were the only thing besides the clothes on his back that came with him from Puckworld.

One of the pictures was of him and a young female duck taken from a high school dance. It was the last dance they had attended together a few weeks before the Saurian attack.

The second picture was one of his whole family. A tall and muscular duck stood straight and proud, a half formed smile on his beak. His eyes were focused downward. Next to him was a shorter and thinner duck with blond hair, very much like Nosedive's. She ,too was standing proudly, with a soft smile on her beak, looking down lovingly at two smaller ducks. An adolescent Wildwing stood in front of his father, eyes shining brightly as he looked straight forward. His arm was draped around the shoulders of a much younger Nosedive. The young duck had a huge grin, as he tilted his head upwards to look at his brother.

Nosedive sighed, wondering how his parents were. Did they too have a chance to escape the slave camps and were fighting off the saurians back in Puckworld? His heart ached softly as he placed a hand over his chest, and touched the pendant he had found outside the mini golf place. For some reason it calmed him as of late. He kind of felt like it was meant to be his. A smooth surfaced item with a turbulent looking inside. Kind of how his emotions were. With another sigh, he pocketed the wallet and dove back under the bed.

"Yo, Dive!" someone shouted from outside his door, startling him enough to make him bang his head against the bed's underside.

"Ouch! What?!" Nosedive sat up and looked at the door.

"It's Duke. Can I come in?"

"I'm a little busy, Duke. Can't it wait?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, I guess it can wait. Is there a time I can meet up with you?"

"Umm. I'll get back to you on that."

"Okay, kid."

Nosedive remained silent, waiting to see if Duke was going to ask anything else. Hearing nothing, he shrugged his shoulders and went back to work. There were some days when he couldn't understand his team mates. X

Duke stepped away from Nosedive's room, a bit concerned at Nosedive's growing reclusive behavior. His feelings were mixed at the way Canard was treating the kid. It almost seemed like the guy had a vendetta gainst him. But unless the kid spoke up, Duke wasn't sure how he was taking it all.

**X**

Grin watched Nosedive as he skated on the ice. It was starting to worry him that Nosedive had been taking great strides to have more time to himself. Normally, Nosedive would ask him to come along to the mall in search of comics and crystals. Lately, Nosedive had been going off on his own. He couldn't even remember the last time Nosedive and Wildwing did anything either. There was something bad, and Grin felt helpless about it.

How does one fight something that originates from deep within the soul? X

Nosedive sat in one of the den's chairs, watching cartoons on the giant television screen as he fiddled with his pendant. Lately, with the exception of Canard, all his team mates have been approaching him, wanting to "just talk." It was beginning to bother him.

He was startled when his older brother slid right next to him. Nosedive let go of the charm around his neck and reached for the remote, ready to turn off the television.

"No, no, leave it on," said Wildwing. Nosedive gave him a strange look, but he put the remote back down.

"What are you doing here?" Nosedive asked, glancing at the clock. "Isn't it time for hockey practice?"

"Canard's giving us the day off."

"Really?" Nosedive's voice sounded hopeful.

"Yeah. I was thinking, you want to go to Anaheim Cinemas and see what's playing?"

"Just you and me?"

"Well, Canard, Mallory, and Duke are going. Tanya wants to work on her new invention and Grin is gonna do, well, Grin stuff. You up to it?"

"Uh, no that's all right," replied Nosedive, rather quickly. "I think I'll just hang around here and catch up on some comic books."

"You want me to stay?"

"No! Go ahead, have fun. Don't let me hold you back."

Wildwing gave him a funny look.

Nosedive rarely passed up the chance to go to the movies with him.

"Okay," he said, getting up. He gave his brother one final look of concern and then walked out of the room.

Nosedive sat still for a few moments, then let out a deep sigh. "This is so lame," he said to himself. He turned off the television and got up. He spoke into his comm out of habit, "Hey, Wing!"

"What's up, Baby Bro?"

Nosedive winced as he heard Canard laugh and say, "You still call him that?!"

"Uh, I decided to head out to the mall and meet up with Thrash and Mook. Just wanted to check in with you."

"Okay, have fun."

"Yeah, thanks," Nosedive replied without enthusiasm. Man, Canard knew how to kill something that was always pleasant to hear.

X

"It's like they're smothering me, man!" said Nosedive, as he plopped down an arm load of comic books on the counter.

In front of him stood Trash and Mook, flipping through the stack that he had chosen.

"That is, like, so not cool," said Thrash.

"Yeah. And, like, your brother does nothing?" added Mook.

"No. Not really. Lately he's been trying to talk to me, but dude, he's tight with Canard. I can't say anything to him! And all the others seem to respect Canard. I'm, like, stuck so far into the middle that it is so uncool."

"Bummer!"

"Yeah, well, ring me up. I gotta be heading back to the torture chamber."

"Like, sorry you have to go there," said Mook. "Why don't you just, like, come here more often. We don't mind."

"Canard doesn't let us get out that often," remarked Nosedive, bitterly. "But thanks for asking."

Thrash rang up the books and took the money Dive gave him. With a small wave, Nosedive gathered his purchase and walked out the door.

"See ya later, dudes." X

Nosedive was riding on his Duck-cycle when he happened to pass a large crowd. Curiosity got the better of him and he made his way towards it.

He spotted several news vans and made his way to one that was standing apart from the rest.

"What's going on?" he asked a person who was standing on top of the van. He was pointing a camera towards some building that had a "Grand Opening" banner on it.

The camera man looked at him in surprise. "Uh, wow! You're Nosedive! I, uh, well," he quickly composed himself to act more professional. "This is the new Anaheim Grand Bank, and it supposedly features a new security system that locks in the robber for the cops to arrest."

"What?"

"Mr. Loyd, multimillionaire. Haven't you heard of him?" The reporter pointed towards a blond man that was standing at a podium, giving a speech.

"Yeah, I think so. Every time my shows get interrupted with some stupid special news bulletin."

"Uh, yeah. Anyhow, this new system keeps track of every human being that enters. When someone tries to rob the bank and is inside, the system is activated to keep track of the number of people that are running out. The doors then slam down shut keeping one live person inside. It's not a hundred percent accurate of course. There's a possibility that it could be a hostage left behind. But it at least increases the chance of trapping a bank robber."

Nosedive looked around and was surprised by the lack of police. He mentioned it.

"Oh, yeah. Mr. Loyd is so confident that the system will work that he ordered the police to stay five blocks away during the grand opening and the press conference."

"That is, like, so stupid," commented Nosedive, floundering for a more tactful way to state his opinion.

"Can I quote you on that?"

"No! I don't need to get into anymore trouble!" Nosedive pulled away from the reporter, remembering their lack of respect for one's privacy. Well, maybe that opinion was a bit harsh.

Suddenly there was a loud boom from inside the bank. People came running out, screaming.

"The bank is being robbed!" X

Captain Klegghorn sat in his unmarked car, sipping on a cup of coffee. "Stupid money mongol," he muttered to himself. "So confident in his technology."

"Shots fired at Anaheim Grand," shouted out a voice on his radio. Klegghorn 's coffee spewed out of his mouth. "All available units report to the bank. Unknown number of hostages. . ."

Klegghorn dumped his coffee out the window and pulled out his siren light.

"All right, boys," he said into his radio. "Let's go!" X

"Ah! Help me!" a woman screamed from inside.

Nosedive immediately changed into his battle gear. He headed over to the bank, going against the crowd of people that were running out. He got to the entrance and looked in.

The bank was big enough to start off with a long wide lobby. Sofas were set in the middle for people to wait. Potted plants littered the floor, matching the leaf- printed wall border that ran down the sides of the lobby. Several wooden desks that matched the sofas lined the walls, currently missing their occupants. There were a few doors that must have led to other locations in the bank, but they were shut tight, so Nosedive couldn't see into those rooms.

At the very end he could see large double doors that led to the bank tellers. A few more people streamed out as a deep commanding voice yelled "Get back here!"

Nosedive could see a tall, masked, muscular man dressed in black reaching for a petite woman who was passing through the main room's doors.

The robber had managed to grab the woman before she passed through and yanked her back. He spotted Nosedive and shot back with a rapid firing gun, very similar to the uzis he'd encountered not too long ago.

Nosedive dove behind a desk, shooting his puck launcher.

The robber continued to return fire. X

Klegghorn pulled up to the bank along with a dozen other patrol cars. They blocked off the roads, pushing reporters and civilians alike away from the bank.

They watched as several people ran away from the building.

For a few seconds, there was no one on the street and everything was silent. Then several shots were fired from the inside.

The police began firing without a second thought. X

Nosedive watched as the robber backed away with the hostage. He could hear the terrified woman's sobs as the robber forced her to follow him to duck behind a teller's desk.

Nosedive got up and began to make his way to the doors. He threw himself to the ground when several more shots were fired from inside. Then, to his horror, a lot more shots came from the outside.

That was when he realized that he was trapped in the middle with no safe way out. X

"I'm telling you, man, I saw one of the Mighty Duck run in there!" some person was yelling from the railings that the police had set up.

"What?!" Klegghorn marched over to where the man was standing. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, man! He, like, ran in there with some kind of gun right after some woman screamed for help."

"Great!" Klegghorn charged back to his car. "Hold your fire!" he shouted to the officers. "We may have more than one hostage in there." Klegghorn fished through his glove compartment and found what he was looking for.

In his hand he held a comm unit exactly like the ducks had. In fact, it was given to him by the ducks in case they ever needed to get in contact with him. Deep down he knew that it was meant for him to get a hold of them, so to avoid temptation, he had thrown it in the one place he knew he rarely looked. However, if one of their own was trapped in this massive death trap, it was only out of respect that they should know and come to their aid.

He randomly pressed a button. X

"That was probably one of the lamest movies I've seen!" Mallory exclaimed as they walked out of the Cinema complex.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Duke.

"I must say, it does give insight to how humans think," added Canard.

"Yeah," said Wildwing. "Oddly."

His comm beeped.

"Wildwing here."

"Wildwing! It's me."

"Klegghorn?!"

"Yeah. There's a robbery going at Anaheim's Grand Bank," shouted Klegghorn into his comm unit.

"Where's that?" asked Duke, standing next to Wildwing.

"Two blocks east from Anaheim Mall. Witnesses say that there's a Duck caught in the middle. Youse missin' somebody?"

"Dive," whispered Wildwing, in shock. X

Nosedive took a deep breath as he prepared to go after the robber. A beep from his wrist caught his attention.

"Hoh, boy," he muttered, realizing that he was about to be in big trouble. He didn't realize how much until he saw that it was Klegghorn on the line.

"What in earth's name were you thinking!" Klegghorn shouted. "Get out of there right now!"

"But there's a lady trapped in with the robber!"

"Let us handle it. You get out of there this instant before your brother gets here!"

"Wing?" His comm beeped again. "Uh, Captain, I gotta go." He clicked another button, cutting off Klegghorn.

"Nosedive!!" shouted Wildwing.

"Speak of the Saurian's spawn," he muttered to himself.

"Why haven't you contacted me about the situation?!"

"Uh, things got busy?"

"What?!"

"Wing! There's a lady trapped in there with some nut that actually thought he could rob this bank!"

"I heard. But don't you dare do anything before we get there."

"Get outside and wait with Klegghorn," ordered Canard.

Nosedive let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, sir."

He shut the comm off and prepared to go back out the door. Then the woman screamed again. Nosedive hesitated. He heard her scream one more time and sighed. "Orders be spaced," he cursed, as he shut off his comm to avoid incoming transmissions. It was time to rock and roll. X

The bank robber was dumping cash with one arm into a bag that lay open on the floor. With the other, he held his gun trained on the woman who wore a name tag saying Mabel.

"Scream one more time and I'll make sure no one can identify you by your face," he said.

The woman just stood still in absolute terror.

"You know, you could be useful and help me put the cash into the bag."

The woman nodded and slowly moved towards the robber.

"Now!!"

She scurried over and began throwing the money into the bag while sobbing.

"That's better."

Neither the robber nor Mabel were aware that Nosedive was just outside the vault, making his way towards them. He had hidden behind the giant potted palm trees and then had gone around several cubicles that were in the room. His next stop was to get the woman away from the robber and make a break for it.

He took a deep breath, trying to gather his courage. This certain lywas bringing back some recent memories. Nosedive grasped his pendant and held it out like if it were a religious charm. "Okay," he whispered. "I caught a terrorist the day I found you, so I'm hoping you're a lucky charm and help me out this time, too."

The robber was lifting a bag when he ordered the woman to stop. "Pick up the other bags," he said.

Nosedive jumped into the doorway. "Drop the loot, dirtbag!" he shouted, firing a puck at the robber. The puck hit the bag that the robber was carrying in front of his chest. The impact knocked him backwards on his back.

"C'mon!" urged Nosedive, as he grabbed the woman by the arm, pulling her out of the vault. She screamed as they began to run towards the lobby.

Nosedive glanced back and spotted the robber at the vault's doorway.

"Run!" he shouted, giving the woman another shove as he stopped and fired one more puck in the robber's direction.

The robber ducked behind the wall as Dive's puck ricocheted off the vault's edge, missing him by millimeters.

Nosedive ran again and saw that the woman had crossed into the lobby. _Yes!_ he thought to himself.

She ran through the front doors. _Safe!_

Then the steel doors came crashing down, trapping him inside the bank with the armed robber. X

Klegghorn was watching the entrance with growing apprehension. He had tried communicating with Nosedive a couple of times with no success. Where was that duck?

"My system will stop him," said a person with an English accent. "And will aid you in apprehending him."

Klegghorn turned around and was appalled to see Millionaire Loyd standing behind him.

"You?! What are you doing here? Get back behind the lines!"

"Relax, Officer. Once the system senses only one person left in the room, the steel doors come down, trapping him inside. That way you'll go in and arrest him. If it's the hostage that is left behind, then the hostage will be safe and sound while you do what you do to capture the vermin."

Klegghorn opened his mouth to comment before he was interrupted by one of his men.

"Sir! We see the woman and the duck running into the lobby!"

Klegghorn quickly focused on the front door. He saw the woman emerge, and to his horror, saw steel doors slam down shut.

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! He's still in there!" The woman had begun screaming.

"I thought you said it would close only if there was one person left inside!" shouted Klegghorn at Mr. Loyd.

The English man was flabbergasted. "I. . . well. . . this. . . The system was designed to recognize humans! I wasn't expecting an alien duck to enter my bank, much less be involved as a hostage in an attempted robbery!"

"Great!" growled Klegghorn.

Glancing up, he saw the Migrator approaching. "Double great," he muttered.

It stopped next to his car and the remaining six ducks stepped out.

"Where's Dive?" was Wildwing's first words.

"In there," said Klegghorn, pointing to the fortified bank. X

Nosedive panicked for a moment, then dove towards one of the side doors in the lobby. Luck was on his side as it opened. He shut it closed and looked around. There was another set of desks and another door. Hurrying towards it, he tried the handle.

Locked.

Then he heard the robber shouting outside in the lobby. Heart pounding, Nosedive hid behind one of the desks.

The robber became silent.

Then he began calling out in a sing song tone. "Come out, come out, where ever you are."

Nosedive grimaced as he heard the man approach his hiding place. He checked his puck launcher.

Empty.

"I'm as good as roast," he muttered to himself.

Looking wildly around, Nosedive couldn't find anything to use as a weapon. Then his sight landed on a lady's purse.

Outside in the lobby, the robber was trying the door next to Nosedive. He jiggled the doorknob and found it locked. He moved one over. The knob turned all the way.

Underneath his mask, he grinned. He kicked the door open and pointed his gun into the room.

Something large and heavy hit him across the face, knocking him out cold. Nosedive stood above him, purse in hand.

"Sweet dreams, punk," he said. X

Nosedive grumbled to himself as he flipped through the television channels. He had felt good about himself when he had caught the bank robber. But when the steel doors went up, and the police swarmed in, he had been yanked out of there by his brother.

"What were you thinking?" he had shouted. "You could have been killed!"

"But, Wing! I couldn't leave the lady in there alone!"

But Wildwing wouldn't listen. And, naturally, Canard got in a few words, too.

"That was completely irresponsible! Jobs like that require proper back-up, which you didn't have. Of course, I'd hesitate  
sending you as back-up."

Nosedive stopped switching the channels when he saw that Bernie the Bear was on. He sat back to relax.

"We interrupt to bring you this special bulletin."

"Great," muttered Nosedive.

"Earlier today, the Grand Anaheim bank was almost robbed. Millionaire Loyd shares a few words."

"You again?" Nosedive shook his head.

"Due to the recent setback in the security system, I'm shutting down the bank until it can be upgraded. This time it will also include any living being so as to avoid what happened earlier today."

Nosedive growled. "You should."

The screen switched back to the reporter. "Mr. Loyd was refering to the fact that the system had locked in not only the robber, but our own local hockey player, Nosedive."

Nosedive stared, completely mortified as they played news footage that he had not seen earlier. It was of Wildwing and Canard reprimanding him in public.

"And it seems that he was in trouble with his team as well."

Nosedive groaned and hid his face with his hands. Could this day get any worse? X

Night had settled in Anaheim. The streets were dark and almost empty. A news van was stalled in an alley not far from the bank. One man sat in it, waiting. It was the reporter that Nosedive had talked to earlier.

He didn't move as his passenger door was opened. An inhuman figure got in.

"You were right," he said to the newcomer.

"I am always right on matters like these," said a female voice.

The "reporter" chuckled. "That young duck is resourceful, I'll have to admit. I hope the payment you're giving me is  
worth me losing my best man on the team."

"Do not worry. The payment is generous considering that your man will be returned to you soon enough."

The man looked up at Nightbloom.

"Oh?"

"I may still have use of you and your team."

"Excellent. How do I get a hold of you?"

"You don't. I will contact you."

The man pulled away from the Saurian as she disappeared before his eyes. In her place was a bag full of cash. The man grinned and picked it up. It was pretty heavy. He tossed it towards the back of his van which was filled with explosives and ammunition. It was time to get out of here before he was caught.

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks. . .

* * *

Nosedive kicked an empty soda can across the sidewalk, feeling sorry for himself.

The sound of crunching glass behind him caught his attention. Slowly, he turned around.

* * *

"Dragaunus!" cried out Wildwing, upon seeing his face on Drake 1's screen.

The Saurian let out an evil chuckle. "Tell me, Puckworlder. . . Do you know where your brother is?"

* * *

Wildwing spotted his brother lying on the floor.

"Nosedive!"

"Wait!" shouted Canard. "It's a trap!" 


	5. Ransom

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: While out on a midnight stroll, Nosedive finds himself defenseless against an attack from a stranger. Come morning, the Ducks find out that their teammate has been kidnaped by none other that Dragaunus.

Ransom

Dragaunus stood in front of his main computer screen, watching a Mighty Duck's game, claw poised over a power switch. He slowly turned around to face the Saurian that stood behind him.

"I still don't see the logic behind this," he growled.

"That is because you are a Saurian male. In my travels, I've learned that males tend to fail to perceive the whole picture."

Dragaunus's eyes flashed with fury. He was really beginning to absolutely loathe this female!

"It's just that I've always been raised to attack the head of the problem," he said, angrily, not wanting to drive away his only chance of victory.

"Have you ever hunted vapscalli?" Nightbloom asked, suddenly changing the topic.

"Of course not!" scoffed Dragaunus. "You'd have to be insane for a job like that!"

"Yet it is one of our tests, Sir Draguanus. If you had been approached to join the Saurian Code, how would you have defeated a vapscallus? Attacking its head?"

"That would be incredibly stupid. Everyone know that vapscalli regenerate their heads, doubling them."

"Then how would you go about it?"

Dragaunus gritted his teeth. "I don't know," he answered, thinking about the creature that would be twice his height, three times his weight, and with large poisonous fangs jutting out of its mouth.

"You aim for the heart." Nightbloom turned and walked away, leaving behind a confused Saurian.

"What was that all about?" he hissed to no one in particular.

"Oh, I get it," said Chameleon, who was standing in the shadows of the room. "Cut the head and chances are you'll find two more. Where as cut the heart and the beast goes off to slowly die alone!"

Dragaunus stared at Chameleon, surprised that the imbecile knew what he was talking about for once. Then he looked back at the screen, watching as the cameras focused on Nosedive. He was finally beginning to understand. X

Nosedive lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was way past midnight, but sleep was the last thing on his mind. He had this horribly strong urge of running away and never coming back. Of course, that would be impossible here on Earth. How does one of the only seven ducks on this planet hide among a bunch of humans?

He fiddled around with his pendant that hung around his neck. He sat up in his bed and stared at it. He was almost mesmerised by the color. Then he let go of it. Why was he just wasting time staring at some pendant when he could sneak out and do stuff?

The young duck stood up. "Oh, hockey pucks!" he growled. "I just need to get out and think!"

Nosedive stepped out of his room, looking around. There was no duck in sight. Everybody should be sound asleep. Then again, he was about to escape the Pond for the night.

He tip-toed down the hall, pausing at the doorway of one of the rooms. Some sound had caught his attention. Curiosity getting the better of him, he leaned over, placing his ear on the door. He grinned despite himself. "Canard snores!" he chuckled, then hurried away. X

Nightbloom watched through a glowing orb of light. A cool and calculating smile appeared on her face. "Ah, my young one. Is it time?"

She picked up a small purple bag and tied it to her belt. Then she touched the jewel on her forehead. It glowed brightly for a moment, and when the light returned to normal, she was wearing a long hooded cape that hid her face in the shadow. X

Nosedive pressed a sequence of buttons on Drake 1. He hurried over to the exit and glanced up at the security panel. It was still red. He began to feel anxious.

The alarm would have sounded if he had punched the wrong code, wouldn't it?

The light switched to green.

Nosedive was out the door and into the stadium. He quickly made his way through the dark, a strange feeling of excitement going through him.

"Man, I'll be in so much trouble if I'm caught," he muttered to himself. _But I won't be. I'll be back before they even know it!_ X

"Bored, bored, bored," mumbled Chameleon, as he stared at the monitor in front of him. "Bored, bored, bored."

"Would you shut up before I pummel you to smithereens!" shouted Siege, towering over the smaller Saurian.

"I'd like to see you try!" growled Chameleon in return.

"This should be amusing," drawled Wraith.

Chameleon morphed into an ogre of some sort and raised his fists.

"What is going on here?!" roared Dragaunus, upon entering the room.

Chameleon quickly morphed back into himself. "Uh, we were, um, just talking," he stammered.

"Yeah. Nothing else," agreed Siege.

Wraith rolled his eyes.

Dragaunus stormed up to the monitor. "You're suppose to be watching for any move the ducks make."

"There's no need," interrupted Nightbloom, coming up behind Wraith and actually startling him. "We make our attack now."

"But none of them have even left the stadium," protested Dragaunus.

"On the contrary, one is about to make a move." Nightbloom vanished into thin air.

"Ooo, on the contrary, I know more because I'm better than you," Chameleon said in a falseto voice, morphing into Nightbloom's image. He morphed back.  
"Stupid female, what does she know?"

A small blip caught their attention. Looking on the screen, they saw a single red dot moving away from the Anaheim stadium.

"Well, I'll be," said Chameleon, imitating a farmer's voice.

"She was right," finished Dragaunus. X

Nosedive kicked a can across the sidewalk and looked up at the sky. He could see the moon through the lights, shining as dimly as possible. He shook his head and looked back at the floor, slowly walking along feeling sorry for himself.

He felt as if he was slowly losing the connection he had with his brother. It hurt a lot when Wildwing failed time and time again to defend him against Canard. Each time Nosedive tried to convince himself that Wildwing was just trying not to pamper him. But then there was that whole bank robbery incident. Both Canard _and_ Wildwing had yelled at him.

Couldn't they understand that he had done what he firmly believed was right? Couldn't they have at least given him credit for that?

The others weren't helpful either. Nosedive felt betrayed by Grin. He was almost positive that Grin would have said something. But he hadn't. Of course he wasn't expecting much from Tanya, or Mallory for that matter.

"That's what I get for annoying her," he said out loud.

And what about Duke? Wasn't he the last to doubt Duke when everyone thought he had gone bad? Well, with the exception of Wildwing, but then Wildwing was the leader and he had to have faith in his team members.

But now Canard was leader.

The sound of crunching glass behind him interrupted his thoughts. Slowly, he turned around.

No one.

Nosedive shook his head in puzzlement, but remained still, listening. He could hear nothing. Giving one more quick glance around him, Nosedive proceeded to walk.

_Crunch._

There! Nosedive whirled around and found himself face to face with something tall and dark. Yellow eyes looked from underneath a hood.

Nosedive gasped and immediately reached for the button on his shirt to change into his battle gear. A gloved hand quickly reached out and tore it away from Nosedive's shirt.

_Okay, this is not good_, thought Nosedive, as he backed away from the silent figure.

"He who lives and runs away lives to fight another day," he suddenly said to himself, and made a break for it.

He dived into an alley and spotted Siege ahead. "Oh, no!" He turned around and spoke into his comm unit. "Wildwing, bro! Come in!" A static sound answered him. "Can this get any worse?" Nosedive shouted.

"It's always disappointing when technology doesn't work in our favor," a cynical voice said.

Looking up, Nosedive spotted Wraith the fire escape of the building next to him. He held something in his hand. A jamming device, more likely.

He ran out of the alley and was surprised to see that the mysterious figure was gone. In her place, however, was Dragaunus.

Nosedive let out a yelp as he back pedaled.

"What's the matter, ducky? No one to save you?"

Glancing across the street, Nosedive spotted Chameleon. He realized with a sinking heart that they were successfully blocking his way back to the Pond.

Well, in that case, he was going to have to head to the police.

But first. . .

"You've got me," he said in a defeated voice, his shoulders sagging, eyes focusing on the floor.

Dragaunus chuckled as he slowly made his way to the duck. "I suppose you are the smart one, knowing when you've been defeated."

Nosedive bolted, leaving behind four stunned Saurians.

"After him!" roared Dragaunus. "Don't let him out of your sights!"

Wraith, Siege, and Chameleon gave chase, but they were already too late. Nosedive was gone. X

Nosedive stopped for air as he looked behind him. There was no Saurian in sight. But he could hear them. Nosedive broke into a jog and checked his comm. Still out. He moved down another alley, figuring that he would be able to take that road and head back to the Pond.

"Do you really want to go back?" said a low, hissing voice.

The cloaked figure jumped in front of him.

"Ack!" Nosedive shouted, unable to help himself. "Who are you?"

"My name is not important," said the figure, its face hiding in the shadows of the hood. However, your usefulness to me is, my little spy."

"What?"

Nosedive spotted white teeth in the shape of a smile. He shuddered as a chill ran down his back.

"The pendant you wear was my gift to you."

Nosedive glanced down and saw that the pendant was glowing. He looked back up in horror.

"It let you be my eyes and ears. I saw everything, and heard everything. I know how the team treats you like you are completely worthless. A burden."

"No," whispered Nosedive, taking a step back.

"You act irresponsibly from time to time, causing trouble for your team."

"I'm not worthless," murmured Nosedive, taking another step back.

"You're not? Tell me, young one. . . what have you contributed to the team?"

"I've saved their lives once!"

"Do they see it that way? Did they give you credit? Or do they see it as mere good luck? After all, isn't that what Canard said when you stopped the terrorist at the diner?"

Nosedive took a sharp intake of air.

"What about the bank robber? Did they congratulate you on his capture? On rescuing the hostage? As I recall, they yelled and berated you. Your own brother!"

Nosedive was slowly shaking his head, not wanting to hear this. It was bad enough that he felt like this, but for one of the bad guys to realize this!

"The way they treat you, is as if you mean nothing to them. Their words ring true to your heart because you believe in them."

"No," croaked Nosedive, feeling tears springing in his eyes. "I don't. I refuse to believe this!" His voice got louder, turning into a yell. He slowly backed away, holding his hand out as if he could keep this creature from coming near him.

He backed into something solid, but it wasn't a wall.

Turning around he saw that it was Dragaunus. Behind his stood Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith. He was completely surrounded.

Nosedive turned back to the figure, trying to control his growing fear.

"Do not worry, Nosedive. I do not find you completely useless. With your help, we will be able to bring down the ducks."

"No!" shouted Nosedive. "I won't help you!"

"You don't have a choice."

With those words, a grey claw extended out from underneath the cape, throwing purple dust in his face.

"Dormi pax pato juven," she said.

A small green mist came out of the pendant that Nosedive was wearing as the dust fell on it. The mist circled around the frightened duck, moving up until it reached his eyes. Then it went in.

Nosedive's eyes fluttered as he tried to fight off the spell. But it was too strong and his body began to fall as he fell into a deep sleep. His last conscious thoughts were on Wildwing, and how he wished he were here to help him.

Dragaunus caught him as he fell.

"And now for part two of our plan," said Nightbloom, pushing back the hood. X

"Time to rise and shine, Baby Bro," called out Wildwing as he knocked on his brother's bedroom door. He didn't get an answer.

With a puzzled frown, Wildwing opened the door and stepped in.

"Dive?"

He turned the room's light on. He saw that the bed was empty. A small seed of fear settled in the bottom of his stomach. Nosedive was never an early riser. If anything, he'd probably sleep till one in the afternoon if it wasn't for Wildwing waking him up.

Feeling completely baffled, Wildwing made his way to the kitchen. That would be the next place to look.

He entered the kitchen and only saw Tanya and Mallory sitting at the table. Mallory and Tanya looked up at Wildwing and smiled.

"Hi. Have either one of you seen Nosedive?"

Both females glanced at each other.

"No."

"Uh-uh."

"Oh. Um, let me know if you do find him."

"Yes, sir," replied Mallory.

Wildwing then headed to the den were Nosedive usually settled down to watch television. He heard some sounds coming from there. He stepped in to find Duke watching Bernie the Bear.

"Wing!" exclaimed Duke, shutting off the television. "Uh, I was just trying to see what the kid finds so amusing about this show."

"Sure," replied Wildwing, raising an eyebrow. He could make out a faint blush growing on Duke's face.

"Speaking of which," Wildwing said, getting back to the task at hand. "Have you seen Nosedive?"

Duke gave a puzzled frown. "No. Wasn't the kid in his room?"

"Checked there a few minutes ago."

Duke shrugged. "I could help you look for him if you like. But why don't you try his comm?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" muttered Wildwing, as he raised his arm. "Dive, do you hear me?"

After a few moments of silence, he tried again. "Dive?" The uneasiness he was feeling increased.

"Something's not right," he said, looking up at Duke. The expression on the older duck's face mirrored his own. X

"What do you mean he's missing?" cried Phil. "We have a game tonight!"

Canard entered the main room. "Who's missing?" he demanded.

"Nosedive," replied Duke.

"What?"

"I went to check on him this morning and he wasn't in his room." Wildwing walked to where Tanya was pressing a series of buttons on Drake 1. "He wasn't in any of his usual places either, and I can't get a hold of him through the comm unit. Tanya's been trying to trace him."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well? Anything?"

Tanya shook her head. "He's not showing up anywhere! It's like, I don't know, like he vanished or something."

"Anything doesn't just vanish," said Canard, stepping up to the computer. "What about security cams? Did they pick up anything?"

Tanya punched a few more buttons. The main screen split up into nine sections. She cued up the footage, stopping when they spotted Nosedive coming out of his room.

"12:30 in the morning," muttered Canard. "What was he thinking?"

They watched as Nosedive made his way through the halls, pausing at Canard's door. Canard felt his face warming up. How could he possibly be unaware of someone standing outside his door!

Nosedive headed to the main room, punched a sequence on Drake 1, then left the room.

The cameras followed him as he walked through the stadium. The last one that was fixed over the exit door showed him walking away at 12:45.

"Do you think he ran away?" asked Mallory, incredulous.

"He wouldn't," Wildwing snapped.

"Nosedive would have taken something with him besides the clothes on his back," added Canard, staring at the screens as they rewound to play again. "My best bet is that he just went for a midnight stroll. Something must have happened to him."

Wildwing looked at Canard. "I need to find him," he said, tightly. X

Dragaunus and Nightbloom stood side by side. In front of them sat Nosedive, strapped to a chair. A helmet of some kind was on his head. Wires extended from the hood and connected to a computer. A black screen covered his eyes and a series of light flashed from underneath. Nosedive shook his head. "No!" he cried. "Wildwing!"

"What does your machine do?" asked Dragaunus, an evil smile on his face.

"It takes his thoughts and feeling and turns them into his worst fears," replied Nightbloom. She knelt in front of Nosedive and laid a hand on the struggling duck.

"What do you see, young one?" she asked in a low and soothing voice.

"Help me, Wing! Please! Duke?"

"Do they leave you alone to suffer?"

"Wildwing, please!" Nosedive sobbed, sagging into the chair. "This can't be real," he whispered. He quit moving and his breathing slowed down.

Nightbloom quietly removed the mask, revealing an unconscious Nosedive.

"Look at him," she said. "Such faith. He is so unwilling to believe that his friends would desert him. He would rather drive himself to unconsciousness, the only means of escape. By all means, he is the strong one."

Dragaunus looked at her skeptically. "You realize that we can just finish him off right here and right now."

"You will only increase Wildwing's need of vengeance. We just want to show him that we can take his brother any time we want. And if he attempts to shield his brother, well, that will not go well either. Nosedive is much too active to be locked away. Not to mention that although we may not succeed in breaking young Nosedive, wemay at least plant a seed of mistrust in his teammates."

A light went on in Dragaunus's brain. "You're trying to cause a conflict among the ducks!"

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day," Nightbloom muttered.

Dragaunus chose to ignore that comment, as much as it displeased him.

"So what now?"

"We contact the ducks for ransom. Just to throw them off my true intentions."

"Causing unrest among them."

Nightbloom looked at Dragaunus. "Oh, there will be much more than that," she said.

Dragaunus turned and left the room, leaving Nosedive and Nightbloom alone. The female Saurian turned her attention back at the unconscious duck. She pushed back his hair from his face. "I am sorry to use you like this," she said. "But we of the Saurian Code always use whatever means are necessary to get the job done." X

"As much as I'd like to help you," Klegghorn was saying, "I legally can't do anything until the kid has been missing for twenty-four hours."

"This is so stupid!" growled Wildwing.

"But," interrupted Klegghorn. "I may be able to speed the process since the kid is a celebrity. However, it's best we keep this quiet for as long as possible. If we let this leak out to the public, a whole bunch of lunatics looking for five minutes of fame might call in."

Drake 1 suddenly signaled an incoming call.

"Quick!" said Wildwing. "It might be Nosedive!"

Tanya pressed the respond button.

Everyone was unprepared for who they saw.

"Dragaunus!" cried out Wildwing, upon seeing his face on Drake 1's screen.

The Saurian let out an evil chuckle. "Tell me, Puckworlder. . . Do you know where your brother is?" X

People were in the stands cheering away. They were excited at the prospect of winning another game. So far the Mighty Ducks had been undefeated.

Down on the ice, a distracted Wildwing skated into Canard.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Canard placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Wing. We'll look for him after the game. We have to believe Dragaunus's word that he hasn't harmed Nosedive yet."

"What if it's a lie?" responded Wildwing. "What good is a Saurian's word?"

"Look, Wing. I don't like having to trust him either, but what can we do? Right now we have to focus on this game and be done with it so that we could search for Nosedive."

"Right," answered Wildwing, looking pained.

The referee motioned for them to get ready for the game. They all got into their positions, but each and everyone of them glanced at the bench. Would Nosedive ever sit there again? X

"And it's a sad night here in Anaheim as the Mighty Ducks lose their first game. What a disappointment."

"Sure is, Bob. All I can say is that Wildwing seemed pretty distracted."

"He sure did, Rob. My guess is that his brother Nosedive must be pretty sick to have him all worked up like that."

"That's right, Bob. The other Mighty Ducks players don't seem to well either. If it weren't for Canard, I'm sure they would be completely humiliated!"

"Yeah. 6 to 4. That has got to hurt." X

Mallory closed her eyes as Wildwing repeatedly slammed his fist on his locker door. He had thrown his hockey stick and gloves across the room upon entering it. Duke, Tanya, and Grin just looked at one another. What could they say to him at a time like this? "Sorry your brother is missing," didn't seem to cut it.

"Well, I doubt we'll ever have a worse game," grumbled Canard, making his way over to Wildwing.

"Hey, hey!" shouted Canard, trying to pull Wildwing away from the locker. "I thought you were beyond hitting inanimate objects. Nosedive would do something like this."

"Yeah, well, Nosedive isn't here!" growled Wildwing. "Someone's got to do it." He kicked the door.

Wildwing took a deep breath and turned around. He slumped against the locker and slid down, knees to his chest and arms wrapped around his head. Canard knelt beside him.

"Wildwing, you need to keep your cool if we're going to find Nosedive. You won't be very helpful like this."

"I know," whispered Wildwing, not looking up.

"Tanya, any messages on Drake 1?"

"I'll go check on that right now," she answered, feeling highly uncomfortable by the whole situation. She scrambled out of the room.

"C'mon, Wildwing," Canard then said softly. "Remember back in Puckworld when Nosedive was seven and had been surrounded by a group of bullies? He beat all but one! You showed up in time to save him from the leader. You have to believe that you'll do the same here."

Wildwing looked up, eyes shining brightly from unshed tears. "So what are we waiting for?" he said in a steady voice. X

"This is too cliche for my own comfort," muttered Duke, as the Mighty Ducks stood in front of an old warehouse.

Canard scanned the area with the mask. "Well, I can't detect the lizards out here. And there is minute life reading from inside."

"Then I guess we go inside and see what ol' dragon's breath wants," said Duke, pulling out his saber.

"I hate this," muttered Mallory. "You know it's a trap."

"We really don't have a choice," said Canard, as he stepped forward, Wildwing at his side. "Besides, we have Klegghorn bringing in the reinforcements."

"Then, as Nosedive would say," said Grin. "Let's party!" X

The door creaked as it slowly opened. Dust floated around and rats squeaked as they scattered out of the light.

Canard stepped through first and ran another scan. He detected life reading up ahead behind several boxes. Judging by the shape, he concluded that it was Nosedive. But not getting any readings from the Saurians was making him feel really uneasy.

He motioned the other ducks through. They kept an eye on all areas of the warehouse as they moved over, completely unaware of a security camera that was watching them. X

Nightbloom watched as the Ducks cautiously approached the area where she had left Nosedive. She raised a hand as Chameleon opened his mouth to ask a question. "Wait," she instructed.

He immediately closed his mouth.

"So why aren't you coming?" asked Dragaunus, bitterly.

Nightbloom continued watching the monitor. Wildwing had broken away from the Ducks as soon as he spotted his brother.

"I will if you want me to. But then it will ruin the element of surprise when the time comes to draw the Ducks into a final battle."

"No, we wouldn't want to do that," growled Dragaunus.

"Now," Nightbloom said, turning around to face all Saurians. They quickly transported out of her sight. X

"There he is!" exclaimed Wildwing, spotting Nosedive gagged and tied behind some boxes.

He appeared to be unconscious.

"Careful, Wing," said Canard, looking up into the rafters. "I still think this is a trap. It's way too easy."

But Wildwing wasn't paying attention. The thought of having his brother back home and safe was more important to him than watching out for Saurians.

He was almost at his brother's side when a green light blinded him. His vision clearing, he was violently startled at seeing Dragaunus standing in front of him, blocking his brother from his view.

"So nice of you to drop by!" snarled Dragaunus, slamming Wildwing across the chest with his arm. Wildwing flew back and sprawled on the floor.

"Above us!" shouted Mallory.

The Mighty Ducks leapt out of the way as Wraith, Siege, and Chameleon leapt down from the rafters.

Canard grabbed Wildwing and hauled him to safety. He fired a few explosive pucks at the Saurians and they returned fire with their lasers.

Duke watched from behind a stack of crates. Chameleon was firing two lasers, having morphed into an old time gangster.

"It's 'coitens' fer ya," he was shouting.

Mallory and Tanya had been trapped behind another stack of boxes. They tried getting a few shots in, but Chameleon was shooting too fast.

Duke fired his grappler hook onto a rafter over Chameleon. "Incoming!" he shouted, as he swung across the room. Chameleon looked up in time to see Duke heading towards him.

"Oy, vey, this is gonna hurt!"

Chameleon went sailing past Siege who was wrestling with Grin. The Saurian landed on his back as Grin managed to flip him. Siege swung his tail in hopes of knocking Grin down as well. Grin jumped over the tail. Siege let out shout of surprise as a bunch of empty cartons fell on top of him. Rats that had been hiding inside them ran over him.

"Get them off!" he starting screaming.

Meanwhile, Wildwing was trying to figure out a way to get past Wraith and Dragaunus. Canard kept an arm on him.

"Don't you dare try running out," Canard shouted. "You need to stay alive in order to rescue Nosedive!"

"I wasn't going to," growled Wildwing.

"Don't lie, Wing. I know you."

Canard glanced around as Wildwing fired several more pucks in the Saurian's direction. He ducked back behind the crates as Wraith shot several fireballs at him.

The wooden crates caught fire.

"Okay, we have a situation here," said Wildwing.

"Then we'll use it to our advantage," responded Canard, putting away his puck launcher. "When I say three, push!"

Wildwing placed his hands on the crates.

"Ready? One, two, THREE!"

Both ducks pushed against the crates as hard as the could. The crates came toppling down towards Dragaunus and Wraith. The two Saurians jumped out of the way.

Wildwing gasped as Dragaunus landed next to Dive.

Dragaunus looked up, catching Wildwing's eye.

Meanwhile, Duke, Mallory, and Tanya had cornered Chameleon.

"No fair!" he was shouting. "Three against one! I thought you ducks were into fair play!"

Grin had tied Siege up with cables. He then moved to wear Wraith was getting off the floor.

Dragaunus stood up and pointed his laser at Nosedive.

"If I can't get rid of you, at least you'll still be one duck short!" he growled.

"This is Captain Klegghorn! Come out with your hands up!" came a voice from the outside.

"Sounds like the cavalry has arrived," said Duke.

Dragaunus growled and hit his transporter button. Chameleon scrambled to Siege and pressed his. Within a few seconds, all Saurians disappeared.

Wildwing ran to his brother. Nosedive was still unconscious, but otherwise looked unhurt. Wildwing scooped up his brother.

With weary sighs, the Ducks walked out of the warehouse. They had gotten what they came for. X

Wildwing stood outside the infirmary. He looked up as Canard approached.

"How's the kid?" he asked.

"Tanya's checking over his vital signs," Wildwing replied. "Other than that, he's still sleeping."

"He'll be okay."

"Yeah."

In the Next Episode of The Mighty Ducks:

* * *

Canard went flying down onto the mat. He looked up in surprise. "Where did that come from?" he  
asked, incredoulous.

* * *

"Hey, kid," said Duke, placing a hand on Nosedive's shoulder. "Where'd you get the pendant from?"

"None of your business," snapped Nosedive.

* * *

Wildwing burst into Nosedive's room. "Just what is you problem?" he demanded.


	6. Withdrawn

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Nosedive is lashing out at everyone near him. The ducks want answers as to what happened to him aboard the Raptor, but finding out might not be the best thing.

Withdrawn

Wildwing stood at the edge of the boxing ring that was recently built in their gym. Up on the mat stood Nosedive and Canard.

He watched in concern as Nosedive nervously dodged all of Canard's punches. While he had gotten faster at that, his attacks seemed to have gotten worse.

"C'mon, kid," snarled Canard. "You can run and dodge as long as you like, but sooner or later you'll have no choice but to make a stand and fight!"

Several yards away from the boxing ring, Duke was attempting to break his record of opening the most number of locks in two minutes. So far his average was one lock per fifteen seconds, give or take a few.

The one he held in his hand, for example, took only five seconds to unlock. But right now, he had held it for five minutes, his attention elsewhere: Nosedive.

Recently, the young duck had been kidnaped by Lord Dragaunus. He was unconscious when he was found, and for several days after that, he had been plagued by nightmares. Several nights Duke had woken up to the sounds of Nosedive crying out in terror. But whenever he woke up, the nightmares were forgotten.

However, he also refused to talk about his time in captivity when asked about it. This worried Duke, as well as the other ducks. Wildwing seemed to hover over his little brother all day long.

Unfortunately, this also seemed to irritate Nosedive.

Canard decided to use recent events as an excuse to train with Nosedive one-on-one in combat skills. Nosedive wasn't exactly thrilled with the attention.

Duke watched as Nosedive threw a punch and missed. Canard struck Nosedive in the ribs, pulling back his punch so that it stung, but didn't knock the wind out of him.

Duke flinched. He was beginning to believe that Canard enjoyed being malicious towards Dive.

Not far from the elder duck stood Mallory. She held a puck launcher in her hand, but she had stopped her target practice a while ago. Her attention was also on the fight that was going on in the ring.

While she believed that Nosedive needed more discipline, she wasn't sure that Canard was going about it the right way.

Yet none of the other ducks expressed any concern. Wildwing gave no implication that it bothered him.

She glanced around and noticed that the others were also observing Nosedive and Canard. She briefly wondered what each one was thinking.

She gave a small gasp as Canard threw another punch at Nosedive's face.

Nosedive pulled back in surprise and Canard's glove grazed the bottom of his beak.

"You're not expecting us to bail you out each time, are you?" Canard goaded.

Nosedive looked up at him, nervousness giving way to anger.

"I don't need this," he shouted, and threw one quick swing.

Canard went flying down onto the mat.

Nosedive yanked his gloves off and threw them down. "I don't care what you think! I don't care what you say! You don't need me and I sure don't need you!" The young duck jumped off the mat as Wildwing quickly scrambled up to help Canard.

Canard sat up and looked at Wildwing in surprise. "Where did that come from?" he asked, incredulously.

"Are you okay?" asked Wildwing.

"No!" cried Canard. Wildwing kept fading in and out of focus. "The runt decked me!"

A snort caught their attention. They turned to its direction.

Duke let out a fake cough, turning away from them, shoulder's shaking.

Mallory took one look at Duke and also turned around, hand moving up to her mouth.

"You should still be practicing," roared Canard, standing up on shaky legs. Wildwing helped him up and off the mat.

""I need to lay down," he muttered to Wing. "Help me out. I can't see straight!"

The two ducks walked out of the gym.

Duke burst out laughing, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Man, oh, man! The look on Canard's face!"

Mallory and Tanya couldn't help but laugh along. Grin let out a small chuckle.

No matter what, Nosedive never ceased to amaze and amuse them. X

Wildwing glanced at Canard as he led him towards the resting quarters. He turned away as he felt another smile forming on his beak.

"What are you laughing at?" growled Canard.

Wildwing grinned. "You have to admit, Dive really got a good one in there."

"He did not! He caught me off guard."

"Isn't that the point in a fight?"

"We weren't in a fight. We were practicing."

Wildwing stifled a laugh. Canard was always full of pride, and he knew that this must have been a blow to his ego. Having grown up with Canard, Wildwing knew that he would never admit to being bested by Nosedive.

"I don't know, Canard. Looks to me like you were trying to get Nosedive's tail feathers ruffled."

Canard frowned. "Are you implying that I purposely tried to get Nosedive to hit me in anger?"

"Well, yes."

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

"Just to see how strong he can get."

"Wildwing! I'm not stupid. I'm not going to goad someone into punching my face so I could see how strong he was!"

"Sure seemed like it."

Canard let out a sigh of disgust. "Just shut up. We're almost to my room."

Wildwing kept silent as they walked the rest of the way. Once they got to the door, Wildwing kept on eye on Canard as he made his way to his bed. With a small groan, Canard sat down.

"Need anything?" asked Wildwing, another smile breaking out. "Pillows, blankets. . . a bag of ice?"

"Shut up!" Canard gave Wildwing a dirty look.

"You know, I don't think earth's crayons have that color purple yet."

Canard's pillow hit the door as Wildwing laughed hysterically on the other side. X

A clanging sound from the weight room caught Wildwing's attention as he passed by its entrance. He paused in front of it, feeling a bit puzzled. Grin had gone into his quarters to meditate, so it couldn't be him.

He went inside and was surprised to see his baby brother on one of the machines lifting weights. In all his life he had never seen his brother lifting weights. Said it was boring. Nosedive was the kind who would rather go hiking, skating, running, anything, that wouldn't keep him in one place.

He watched his brother for a while.

Nosedive sat on the bench and pulled the bar down. He slowly let it back up as the weights pulled at it. He pulled the bar down again.

His eyes were focused on some spot on the wall. They were void of any emotion. It was as if he were a robot.

Wildwing shifted his stance and cleared his throat.

Nosedive continued as if he didn't notice him.

"Um, Dive?"

Nosedive glanced at him, then turned away, a frown on his face.

"Something wrong?"

Nosedive rolled his eyes and shook his head in disgust.

Wildwing moved towards his brother and sat down in front of him.

"Dive, speak to me." Wildwing was starting to feel nervous.

Nosedive let go of the bar. It flew up and the weights crashed down into place.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, looking down and fiddling with some pendant that he had recently begun wearing.

Wildwing stared at him, confused. "I don't know. It's just that you're not your usual self today. What did happen in the Raptor?"

Nosedive looked up, angry. "How many times do I got to tell you? I don't want to talk about it!"

He stood up and began to walk out.

Wildwing jumped up to follow him. He placed a hand on Nosedive's shoulder.

Nosedive whirled around. "Let go, Wing," he snarled with vehemence.

Wildwing immediately let go, stunned.

Nosedive glared at his brother one last time, then turned and left. X

"But I promised them about a month ago that you would give an interview!" wailed Phil, clutching some papers as he struggled to keep up with Canard.

"I said 'no,' Phil. Now is not a good time!"

"You're telling me! You lost against an easy team just a week ago."

Canard whirled around and let out a growl. Phil shrank back.

"I don't need that reminder."

The team captain turned away and continued walking.

"Sheesh. Wing was always more cooperative."

"You mean a pushover," grumbled another voice.

Phil turned around and saw Nosedive coming up behind him. He gave the young duck a puzzled look as he continued past him.

"Hey, kid!" he called out.

Nosedive whirled around, eyes angry. "I'm not a kid, Phil. I don't want to talk about it, I don't remember anything, and other than that, nothing's wrong, so will you all leave me alone?!"

Phil's eyes grew wide in surprise. He watched silently as the teen left his sight. "Sheesh!" he exclaimed. "What is wrong with everyone?"

At that moment, he spotted Wildwing. "Boobula!"

Wildwing stopped in his tracks. X

"Why am I letting you talk me into this?" asked Canard, looking into Wildwing's pleading face.

"Because Phil won't leave me alone!"

Canard sighed. "Didn't you deal with him before?"

"Yes, but he was never this bad! He literally begged on his hands and knees and nearly tripped me!"

"Oh, all right! Gather everyone else." X

"This is so stupid." Nosedive grumbled, sitting down on a chair next to Tanya.

Wildwing frowned. Usually, his brother sat next to him.

Even Canard looked puzzled.

Duke was a bit flustered as well, because that was where he usually sat. Feeling a bit awkward, he sat down to Wildwing and Mallory.

"Okay, you guys," said Phil, happy that he had gotten his way. "These are reporters for sports magazines and shows. So be nice."

"Aren't we always," commented Duke, looking extremely uncomfortable. He always preferred to sit on the outside.

Canard, who was next to Wildwing, voluntarily switched places with Duke. Neither of them noticed that Nosedive was glaring at them.

With a huff, Nosedive leaned back and toyed with his pendant, staring straight ahead past the reporters who were settling themselves down.

"What's. . ." began Tanya.

"Nothing!" snapped Nosedive.

Tanya leaned back, glancing at Grin who had overheard the exchange. He narrowed his eyes in thought. Lately, he'd been getting bad vibes from Nosedive.

Back on the other side, Canard and Wildwing were going on about some techniques they could use for tomorrow's game.

Duke had tuned them out and leaned forward to see what Tanya, Grin, and Nosedive were doing. He saw when Nosedive had snapped at Tanya. He also noticed the pendant that Dive was wearing.

It looked valuable, but where did the kid get it from? There was something about it that gave him the chills.

"Ready?" someone asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Duke sat back.

For twenty minutes, the ducks endured the reporters asking the same old questions they've heard before.

Then one of them asked something new.

"So, Canard, how does the team take to you being their captain now?"

"What do you mean?" Canard asked, warily. If there was one thing he learned quickly, it was that reporters always asked seemingly innocent questions.

"Well, you show up on this planet, and a day later it's announced that you are the new team captain. Was the decision unanimous among the team?"

"I, uh," stammered Canard, having been caught completely off guard. He glanced at Wildwing, helplessly.

"Or did you just come in and take over?"

All ducks looked over at Canard and Wildwing.

"I handed over my position," Wildwing quickly said. "Canard was the original team captain."

"But fans thought you were doing well. And you've been playing with the team for a whole season. Why willingly give up your position for a new player?"

Phil nervously wrung his hands. This interview suddenly wasn't a good idea. The rest of the reporters had a predatory glint in their eyes that they always got when a good story was about to break.

"I thought it was best for the team," Wildwing finished, somewhat lamely.

Nosedive snorted, catching the attention of the reporter.

"I take it you disagree?"

"Oh, no!" responded Nosedive, sarcastically. "I would never disagree with our fearless leader. Oh, sorry. Ex-leader." Nosedive looked at Wildwing, a smirk on his beak.

Wildwing's jaw dropped.

"Who was the better leader?" asked the reporter, moving in closer to Nosedive.

Both Canard and Wildwing sat up straight and tense.

The other ducks leaned forward, curious to how Nosedive was going to reply.

"I'm afraid that is really an unfair question, me being the younger brother of the ex-captain and all," drawled Nosedive, completely out of character. He smirked.

The reporter wasn't going to give up.

"Okay then, how do you feel about Canard taking your place?"

"Huh?" Nosedive's smirk turned into an angry look.

"Lately you've been benched. Are you yesterday's news, so to speak? Young hotshot athlete a burnout out in just one season?"

"Listen, pal," snarled Nosedive, jumping out of his seat. "I'm not burnt out, okay?"

"Then how do you explain how poorly you played against the Florida Cats? And you're recent attempt to be a hero to the public?"

"What? What does that have to do with hockey?"

Nosedive's voice kept getting louder in each passing second.

Canard slowly began getting out of his chair. This interview was about to be called off.

Wildwing stood up, too. He didn't like the way this reporter was antagonizing his baby bro.

"Well," continued the reporter. "It just seems odd that you lose your place as number one scorer for the team and then you're off rescuing hostages. Is it because you have to be center attention?"

"Why you. . ." growled Nosedive, lunging at the reporter.

Canard and Wildwing paused in surprise, and a purple blur went past them.

Duke tackled Nosedive before he reached the reporter.

Canard stood up straight and tall. "That's enough!" he roared. "This interview is over! I don't ever want to see your face here again! Grin!"

Grin stood up and made his way to the reporters, who backed away hastily. He reached Nosedive and Duke, who was having trouble holding the kid down.

"Let go!" snarled Nosedive, as Grin picked him up and swung him over his shoulder.

"Thanks," sighed Duke, throwing a dirty look at the reporter who started this mess.

Phil moaned. Bad publicity! Who needed it? X

Duke glanced around and spotted no one in the den with Nosedive.

The kid had reacted badly to the reporter, and even more so to having been carried away from the scene. Duke understood that the kid must have felt humiliated, but that was no reason for the silent treatment that he was giving everybody.

Even Canard gave up, walking away from Nosedive while rubbing his temple.

Wildwing looked hurt, to put it simply.

Still, Duke had to find out where Nosedive had gotten the pendant.

He had asked Wildwing about it and found out that the kid had it ever since that situation at the Jolly Jake's Diner. Other than that, Wing didn't know much.

Duke entered the room and sat down next to Dive.

The teen just threw a withering glance at him and then went back to staring at the television, playing some video games.

Duke cleared his throat.

Nosedive ignored him.

"I was wondering. . . " began Duke.

"Can't you take a hint?" Nosedive responded, almost immediately. "I don't want to talk about what happened, I'm feeling fine, so nothing's wrong."

"Uh, I wasn't going to talk about that."

"Then what?"

Okay, this is good, thought Duke. At least he's answering.

"That pendant."

"What about it?"

"Where'd you get it from?"

"I didn't steal it, okay!"

Duke raised an eyebrow.

Nosedive's game character died.

"Look what you made me do!" Nosedive accused, throwing down the controller.

Duke ignored all that. "I didn't ask you if you stole it. I asked were did you get it from."

"I found it." Nosedive stood up, angry. "Is that all right with you, or don't you believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you, kid. Just want to know where you found it."

"Don't call me 'kid,'" snarled Dive. "And you don't believe me. I can hear it in your voice. Well, let me tell you something, Duke. Nobody else is asking about it because there is no need to. But then again, none of them led a life of criminal activity. Any dishonest thief will always wonder if the person next to them is exactly the same way! Just because you stole stuff doesn't mean that others will, too! I think Mallory had the right idea in the first place. Why do we bother trusting you?"

Nosedive turned and stormed away, leaving behind a dumbfounded Duke.

He shoved past Mallory who was entering the room.

"Hey!" she cried out, angry.

Nosedive ignored her and continued on his way.

"What's gotten into him?" she asked. Then she looked at Duke. "And what has gotten into you?" X

The whistle blew and the game was off to a great start. Nosedive was starting and he already had the puck, heading straight for the goal. In the first three minutes, Nosedive scored.

People were cheering and somewhere on some radio, two sports announcers were giving their opinion.

"Well, Rob. Looks like you were wrong."

"Sure does, Bob. Nosedive hasn't lost his touch."

Duke, still feeling a bit sore about yesterday's exchange, passed another shot to the kid. The siren sounded as another goal was made.

People in the stands stood up and cheered.

Soon, five minutes were left in the first period. Then the unthinkable happened.

Nosedive was heading towards the goal again when one of the defense players of the opposing team slashed at him, sending the young duck crashing to the floor.

The referee blew his whistle, ready to make the call. The whistle dropped from his mouth when he saw Nosedive get up and charge the player.

A few seconds later, Nosedive was on top of the player, punching him. Tanya, Mallory, Duke, and Grin, raced over to Nosedive, hoping to get to him before the opposing team did.

They really didn't have to worry. Turned out that the other team hesitated, finding it hard to believe that Nosedive was beating up one of their players. The Mighty Ducks were well known for their clean way of playing.

In a few seconds, though, there was chaos. Players raced to separate the two that were in the middle of fighting.

The referee blew his whistle again.

A few seconds later, Nosedive had been separated from the other player.

The referee, who was completely against fighting in the game, ejected both Nosedive and the other player out of the game.

Wildwing, who stayed by the goalie's net the entire time, yelling at his team mated, took off his mask at the news.

At the bench, Canard kicked the wall, furious at Nosedive.

Then he took a deep breath, calling for time out.

Wildwing and the others, with the exception of Nosedive, who had promptly skated off the ice and headed towards the locker rooms, made their way towards him.

"You talk to him, no matter what," Canard said to Wildwing, tightly. "That kid is becoming unbearable right now, and you have always been the one to be able to talk sense into him. I am this close to kicking him off the team, Wing." Canard held his thumb and forefinger close together. "After this stunt, there is no way I'm going to be able to approach the kid anytime soon without strangling him!"

Wildwing nodded his head once.

The game resumed, and the ducks had to finish it without Nosedive.

In the end, they won 6 to 0. X

Wildwing entered his brother's room.

Nosedive was sitting on his bed, headphones on, eyes closed. His arms were crossed and his shoulders hunched. His head rested up against the wall. He looked tired.

Wildwing rested a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Nosedive gave a start, ripping his headphones off his head.

"Geez. Wing! What are you trying to do? !Kill me with a heart attack?!"

"Sorry," Wing responded. "I just wanted to talk."

Nosedive sighed. "I've told you before. . ."

"I know, I know. You don't feel like talking about it. What I want to know is why? Why have you been trying to avoid me and the others?"

Nosedive looked everywhere but at Wildwing. His body began to shake.

"I don't want to talk about that either," he said, sounding unsure.

"Dive! You've got me and the others worried!"

"Yeah, right," whispered Nosedive, looking down.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Why didn't you come and save me?" whispered Nosedive.

"What?"

Nosedive finally looked at him, eyes brimming with tears. "You heard me."

"Dive," Wildwing began again, reaching out for his brother.

"Don't touch me!" Nosedive shouted, stepping back, out of Wildwing's reach. "You want to know the truth? Here's the truth. I don't remember practically anything, okay? All I remember is that there is this voice, telling me things I don't want to hear. I saw things I didn't want to believe. And. . ." Nosedive's voice broke, as he let out a small gasp. He held his mouth over his beak, a single tear trailing down his face.

Wildwing stood in front of him, finding himself feeling scared.

Nosedive fought for control. "And I remember calling for you, Wing. But you never showed up. They told me it was because you didn't care. But I kept hoping that you would come and rescue me. But you didn't show up, Wing. You didn't come at all! They ended up wrapping me up like a present and handing me over to you!"

"Oh, Dive," murmured Wildwing, feeling sick. He wanted more than anything to take his brother into his arms and make him forget about it all, completely.

"Get out," hissed Dive, suddenly angry. "Face it, Wing. You failed me. How can I ever trust you to watch my back? One thing I've learned is that here on this planet, we have to fend for ourselves and not to depend on others for help."

"That's not true, Dive."

"I don't care what you have to say! I want you out of my room. I needed you then, not now! "

Nosedive stalked towards Wildwing with each angry word, driving him back. When Wildwing had stepped outside the room's door, Nosedive pressed the close button, causing the doors to slam shut  
in Wing's face.

Wing stood outside his brother's room, stunned. Nosedive was right. There was no way he could deny it.

He had failed the one duck that meant to him the most: Nosedive.

Wildwing rested his head against Nosedive's door, trying to hold back his tears, and fighting the urge to knock.

He pulled back and took a deep breath.

There had to be a way to gain Nosedive's trust again.

With a heavy heart, Wildwing walked away.

Inside, Nosedive's shoulders were shaking, forehead also resting against his door. He picked up his head, and began to laugh hysterically. He turned around and leaned back against the door, sliding  
down.

By the time he reached to floor, his laughter turning into soft sobbing sounds. He quieted down as he reached for his pendant which had begun to glow.

He sighed and closed his eyes. X

Dragaunus chuckled, bowing to Nightbloom.

"I must say," he said. "This idea of yours certainly seems to be working out. You may be the cause of the Duck's downfall yet."

"Or someone's," Nightbloom responded, a secretive smile on her face.

She looked up at the screen. "You have no idea how important your role is, duckling."

Dragaunus began to laugh.

In the Next Episode of the Mighty Ducks:

"Only you would find new power supplies interesting, Tanya," scoffed Nosedive. "And only because you're completely clueless about having a life."

"Nosedive!" exclaimed Canard.

"Just grab whatever you can," ordered Wraith, standing in front of the prototype of the electrical generators.

"I still don't see why they sent us out to do this," grumbled Chameleon.

"Nightbloom's orders," responded Siege.

"I really hate that woman!"

Chameleon gasped as he looked into the eyes of one crazy duck.

Nosedive rose the pipe over his head, ready to bring it down on the Saurian, a malicious smile on his face.

"What are you doing?!" cried Canard and Wildwing.


	7. Stranger Among Us

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Nosedive shows a violent streak that's even got the Saurians worried. Nightbloom, however, is pleased.

Stranger Among Us

X

All the ducks were in the den. Nosedive and Mallory were watching television. Tanya, who was taking a break from her gadgets, was also sitting with them.

Duke sat nearby, reading a newspaper and sipping coffee from his mug.

Phil was trying to convince Wildwing and Canard to do another publicity stunt.

"After what happened at our last interview? I'd have to be crazy! The answer is no, Phil," said Canard.

"Aw, c'mon!" No reporters, I promise!"

"No!"

Duke lowered his paper to watch the three.

"That's great!" Tanya suddenly exclaimed.

"Wait," said Mallory. "What was that?"

"It's a new type of powerful generator that they've been trying to perfect for months! It's suppose to be powerful enough to run a ten story building for twelve hours with only one gallon of gas and a tiny bit of nuclear energy."

All the ducks, with the exception of Nosedive, grinned when they heard the excitement in her voice.

"Only you would find new power supplies interesting, Tanya," scoffed Nosedive. "And only because you're completely clueless about having a life."

Tanya's smile fell.

Everyone, including Phil, looked at Nosedive in shock.

"Nosedive!" exclaimed Canard.

"What?"

Canard gave Wildwing a look.

Wildwing stepped towards Nosedive. "Dive, what has gotten into you?"

"Nothing, Wing. Okay? Just because I say something that is true. . ."

"Go to your room."

"What?!" Nosedive jumped up off the couch. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Dive, I'm warning you."

Nosedive let out a humorless laugh. "You've taken to threatening me? Please."

Wildwing glanced back at Canard.

"What?" continued Nosedive. "Can't make your own judgment?"

"Nosedive," growled Canard.

"I'm out of here," Nosedive said, throwing up his hands and turning away from all of them.

"Get back here," ordered Canard.

"Kiss my tail feathers." Nosedive walked out. X

Wildwing paced around in the Ready Room. Canard watched him.

"I don't understand," said Wildwing. "Nosedive never behaved like this before."

"I know," responded Canard. "I remember what he was like. The Saurians must have done something to him."

"But what? Every time I try to talk to him, he claims not to remember."

"That is precisely what concerns me. I've seen trauma victims during the war. Amnesia is common to those who have witnessed or experienced something horrible."

Wildwing stopped and looked at Canard. "Please don't say that," he whispered.

Canard's eyes narrowed. "Something's up."

"What?"

"Ever since you had that private talk with Nosedive, you've been acting a bit distracted yourself."

"I have?" Wildwing's voice cracked as he swallowed nervously.

"Just what did go between you two?"

"Nothing."

"Now you sound like Nosedive."

Wildwing took a deep breath, crossed his arms, and looked at the floor.

"He said something that really got to you, didn't he?" Canard asked.

"He remembers calling for us," Wildwing murmured. "And that we never showed up."

Both ducks remained silent for a moment.

"He specifically said that he called for you, didn't he?" Canard asked gently, seeing through Wildwing's small lie.

"Yeah," croaked Wildwing.

"Which means, _you_ never showed up."

Wildwing nodded.

"He's hurting, Wing. That much I can figure. Whatever those Saurians did to him, it's destroying him. And he's destroying us in the process."

Wildwing looked up at him, shocked.

"What I mean to say is that he's lashing out. Look at you! You're going through a major guilt trip. Duke's been insulted. And Tanya got her share today. You saw how she reacted to Nosedive's words! And have you noticed that he keeps slipping away without us knowing, and that he no longer asks Grin along?"

Canard paused, giving Wildwing time to think.

"He needs your support. And the rest of the teams," Canard continued.

"What about you?"

Canard sighed. "Wing. . . The kid obviously doesn't like me."

"Oh, really?"

"Shut up." Canard turned away from Wildwing. "I probably couldn't offer Nosedive the support he needed if my life depended on it. I wasn't exactly raised that way. You know what it was like for me growing up."

Wildwing smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah."

Canard let out an amused snort. "My father was forever trying to convince me that you were meant to be a rival and not a friend. And he always told me that Nosedive's rambunctiousness was a sin for a military family like ours. Remember what I was like before Nosedive hatched?"

Wildwing laughed. "You were horrible. Worse than Nosedive!"

"Eesh, don't remind me. My father set me straight after that egg snatching stunt you pulled. Later on he wished he could do the same to Nosedive."

Wildwing chuckled. "As if my father would have let him."

"Oh, man, how they despised each other," Canard muttered.

"Yeah," sighed Wildwing. "I miss those days."

"Me, too." Canard patted Wildwing on the shoulder. "Keep trying to talk to that brother of yours. If that fails, I'll give it a try myself." X

Nosedive stood in the shadows of an alley, watching humans pass by.

He hated this place. He hated the situation. And now he found himself beginning to hate the company he was with, including his brother.

"What is wrong with me?" he asked himself.

He gasped when he suddenly saw a solid vision of his brother turning away from him. He saw himself reaching out for him, begging for help.

Nosedive shut his eyes and pressed his hands to his temples.

"That never happened, that never happened, that never happened," he whispered desperately, sinking back further into the shadows, alone and scared. X

Chameleon stood staring at a crack on the wall. "This is so lame," he said.

Siege was pacing behind him. "I need a fight," he growled.

"I don't understand why we have been waiting for Nightbloom to give her orders," grumbled Wraith.

"Silence!" ordered Dragaunus. "You're making my head hurt."

The three Saurians glanced at Dragaunus and then at each other. They continued in softer voices.

"I think she's trying to muscle in on Lord Dragaunus' place."

"Yeah, and he doesn't even realize it!" added Chameleon.

"Whatever she's up to, I don't trust her or like her," drawled Wraith. "And I'll be cursed if she ever becomes my leader."

"Aye, matey," leered Chameleon, who had morphed into a pirate. "Something smells fishy when concerning the likes of 'er."

"I say we sabotage any plans we can!" said Siege.

"Most excellent idea," agreed Wraith. "If we make her out to be a failure, then Lord Dragaunus will stop listening to her and hopefully banish her!"

The other two Saurians agreed. X

"Ned's Nuclear Plant," said Nightbloom.

"What?" asked Dragaunus.

"I want you to attempt to steal the prototype for a new generator."

"Attempt? Do you expect us to fail?"

Nightbloom smirked. "Actually, I intend for you to fail."

"What?!"

Nightbloom turned away. "It is a test to see how much closer we are to phase three of the plan. You are to enter the lab and stall long enough for the ducks to arrive. Defend yourselves, fight back. But be prepared to retreat when I say so."

Dragaunus stared at Nightbloom. 'Does this mean you still want us to take the prototype?"

Nightbloom rolled her eyes in disgust, but her expression was neutral when she turned to face Dragaunus.

"The generator is just the cover story, so to speak. It will be useless to this ship. However, the results to this little test will be quite the opposite."

Dragaunus growled. "This is getting a bit too complicated."

"You are here for the action. Nothing more. You will understand after the test." X

Tanya stared at her gadgets, thinking. Was Nosedive right about her not having a life? After all, the only things she knew were science and math.

Only once was she able to hold a sociable relationship with another Puckworlder, but she had to leave him behind during the war.

She often wondered whether her one and only love was still waiting for her back home. Or had he gotten tired of waiting and turned to someone else?

Tanya sighed. She hated the pain she felt in her heart when she thought of him. And she hated the lump that always formed in her throat.

"Hockey sticks!" Tanya suddenly cried out, pushing one of her latest inventions to the floor. It broke into hundreds of pieces. She stared at it for a few minutes, then turned and walked away. X

Wraith let out a disgusted sigh as Lord Dragaunus left the room. He wasn't some message boy! He was a skilled practitioner of the mystic arts!

What really got to his was that although this latest caper was Nightbloom's plans, it was Lord Dragaunus who was leading the raid.

He shook his head and set out to find the other two Saurians. X

Grin sat meditating on the floor in a lotus position, eyes closed. He opened an eye when he was suddenly overcome with a sense of bad vibes.

Nosedive was back.

"Tanya's in her room," rumbled Grin. "She's upset."

"What's it to me?" snapped Nosedive.

"You are responsible for those feelings."

Nosedive let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, and you were all responsible for finding and rescuing me. Did you? No. Any apologies? No. Guess Dragaunus got tired of waiting for you to show up that he just gave me back to you guys." With that, Nosedive stalked away.

Grin watched the young duck leave, his heart suddenly feeling heavy from guilt. _Do not feel guilty for something you had no control over,_ he told himself.

And yet, that little voice was still there, telling him that he had failed his little bud. X

The Saurians teleported into Ned's Nuclear Plant research labs without a hitch.

"Figures," grumbled Dragaunus, as he purposely tripped a silent alarm. "Only time we get in without a problem is when we're meant to draw the attention of the Ducks." He turned to the other Saurians who were unaware of what he had done.

"Wraith," he barked.

"Just grab whatever you can," Wraith said, standing in front of some boxes.

"I still don't see why they sent us out to do this," grumbled Chameleon.

"Nightbloom's orders," responded Siege.

"I really hate that woman!" Then he added in a louder voice, "So what are we looking for?"

"You'll know when you find it," was Dragaunus' remark.

Lord Dragaunus watched as his henchmen tore through cabinets and metal canisters.

Why Nightbloom didn't want the three knowing the true plan was a mystery to him. X

"To the Aerowing!" shouted Canard. Drake 1's alarms were ringing in the background.

A few minutes later, the ducks were in the Aerowing, ready for battle.

"Punch it," said Canard.

Wildwing, feeling slightly out of place, pushed a few buttons and a lever.

Behind Canard and Wildwing sat Nosedive, glaring at them.

Seeing his brother sitting in the place that was usually meant for him left Nosedive feeling angry and betrayed. X

"What about this thing?" asked Siege, pointing to a generator.

"The ducks are arriving," Dragaunus heard Nightbloom say.

"Yes," answered Dragaunus. "That's it. Grab it and let's go."

"Not so fast, Dragaunus," a male voice said.

"It's the ducks!" cried out Chameleon.

"Then what are you waiting for!" shouted Dragaunus. "Fight!"

The Ducks and Saurians leapt into battle. X

Nightbloom stood in front of a monitor, watching as the fight began. She didn't care who got hurt. Her attention was focused only on Nosedive. Her hand reached up and touched the pendant she wore around her neck. She began to rub it in a circular motion.

"Let your anger loose, little one," she whispered." X

Wildwing dodged to one side as a metal barrel flew his way.

"We really got to stop fighting them in places that has potential projectiles!" he heard Tanya say.

"This is ridiculous!" shouted Mallory, as she pushed Nosedive out of the way of several shelves that were collapsing.

Nosedive rolled away and jumped up, eyes blazing mad. Did she mean the situation was ridiculous, or was saving him ridiculous?

Glancing to his left, he saw Chameleon get the drop on Grin. The Saurian shoved a trash can over Grin's head and jumped off.

Grin tried to take the basket off but was struck from behind by Dragaunus.

As Grin crashed to the floor, Dragaunus made his way to Wildwing and Canard.

Siege, in the meantime, threw a desk in Duke's direction. Duke barely made it out from underneath it in time. The desk came down, grazing his shoulder and momentarily stunning him.

Wraith threw a fireball at Mallory and Tanya. Both jumped back and behind some crates. They took out their puck launchers and began firing.

Dragaunus whipped his tail and knocked Wildwing back. Canard paused for a split second, then ducked as Dragaunus's tail went over him.

Nosedive made his way to his brother. Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed him around the waist.

"Not so fast, Ducky!" Chameleon said, morphing into an ogre type thing.

"Ack!" Nosedive struggled in Chameleon's arms, unaware that his pendant started glowing. His eyes glowed a deep purple for a brief moment as his struggling intensified.

Chameleon lost his grip and dropped Nosedive.

Nosedive whirled around and took a martial art's stance.

"It's payback time, Saurian," he said.

Nosedive launched into a series of kicks and punches, driving Chameleon back. The Saurian found it hard to dodge the moves, so he morphed back into his own self.

Nosedive punched him hard in the face, sending the little Saurian sprawling to the floor.

Dragaunus ducked behind a tank as Wildwing and Canard fired several pucks at him. He used his own laser gun and shot back.

"Any time now, Nightbloom," Dragaunus muttered.

Wildwing dropped back behind his hiding place to look at how much ammo he had. He was a bit perplexed at finding out he had enough for five more shots. "How many shots have you got?" he asked Canard.

"Three," was his reply.

"Great," muttered Wildwing.

Duke slid into their area. "This is a disaster!" he exclaimed. "With all this stuff they can throw at  
us, we're in a bit of disadvantage!

Wildwing stood up and fired two more shots. That was when he spotted Nosedive standing over Chameleon.

Canard stood up in time to see the same thing.

Nosedive held a large pipe in his hands, held high over his head. A malicious smile was on his face as his eyes seemed to hold this uncontrollable rage.

Chameleon was looking up in utmost fear.

"Die, Saurian," Nosedive hissed, as he began to bring down the pipe to smash Chameleon's head.

"Chameleon!" the other Saurians shouted.

"Nosedive!" the ducks shouted. X

Nightbloom watched the screen as Nosedive raised the pipe over Chameleon's head. A slow, and evil smile began to grow on her face. Her eyes narrowed and her pupils became more serpentine.

"Soon, my young one. Soon," she said.

Then she spoke into her communicator device. "Retreat." X

Chameleon gasped as he looked into the eyes of one crazy duck.

Nosedive rose the pipe over his head, ready to bring it down on the Saurian, a malicious smile on his face.

"Chameleon!" he heard the other Saurians shout.

"Nosedive!" the ducks shouted out similarly.

"What are you doing?!" cried Canard and Wildwing.

Nosedive took one second to glance their way. That was all the time Chameleon needed. He scrambled out from underneath the duck.

"Retreat!" shouted Dragaunus.

All four Saurians disappeared in a flash of green.

"Now look what you did!" shouted Nosedive, throwing the pipe to one side. "They got away!"

Canard stalked over to Nosedive. "You tried to murder him!"

"So? You've mentioned that we should stop them at all costs!"

"That's not exactly what I meant! We're to stop them from taking over, contain them, and get out of this planet so that we could get back home and deal with them properly!"

Nosedive sneered. "Oh. Well, maybe you should have been more clear about that in the first place, Leader."

Nosedive pushed his way past Canard. "Meet you back at the Aerowing," he muttered.

Canard stood there, face red, hands balled up into fists.

"Wildwing," he snarled.

"I know. I'll talk to him," said Wildwing, hurrying behind his younger brother.

Duke, Mallory, Tanya, and Grin looked at Canard.

Canard calmed down. "Let's go home," he said. X

"He tried to kill me!" said Chameleon, in shock. "I mean, I always thought that if they wanted to kill us they would have used something other than pucks. I would have thought they'd use lasers, like us! But that duck tried to kill me!"

Dragaunus turned away from the rambling Saurian. He glared at Nightbloom.

"Your little test almost ended with the death of Chameleon."

Nightbloom stared at him with a blank look. "That close encounter was the test," she said. "Nosedive reacted with a violent tendency, and that was what I was looking for."

"What?"

Nightbloom turned away. "Although I would have preferred to see whether he would have carried out his intentions or not, the fact that he thought about it is well enough for me."

"This was a test to see whether he would kill Chameleon or not?" Dragaunus asked, incredulously.

"No, Sir Dragaunus," Nightbloom growled, looking back at him. "It was a test to see how angry he could get. This little situation proves to me that he is almost ready. Give it a few more days, Dragaunus, and Phase three will begin."

Nightbloom walked away, leaving Dragaunus behind.

Dragaunus stared at her retreating back, and began to wonder just how wise his decision was to keep her on board.

In the Next Episode of The Mighty Ducks:

* * *

Canard grabbed Nosedive's arm as he passed by.

"Stop right there, kid," he demanded.

"Man, what is your problem?"

"We need to talk."

Nosedive pulled his arm away. "No we don't!"

* * *

Duke looked around and cursed himself when he realized that he had lost the kid in the crowd.

Then he realized that his wallet was also gone.

"I hate my life," he muttered.

* * *

Canard jumped back in surprise as Nosedive stepped in front of him.

"Who in black holes do you think you are following me?!" the teen shouted.


	8. Shadow Warrior

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Canard, wondering where Nosedive runs off to from time to time, has the duck followed.

Shadow Warrior

Canard was in the weight room, listening to the radio as he was working out.

"And last night's game, Anaheim Ducks versus Colorado Tremors, was a spectacular game! Ducks won 4 to 1. Canard scoring 2, Duke 1, Nosedive 1. The game was fast and full of close shots, but that wasn't the amazing bit of the game. Oh, no. Not by a long shot. What was amazing was the amount of aggression that young Nosedive Flashblade has been showing these last few games. It's  
a whole new personality!"

"Tell me about it," muttered Canard, taking a break.

"Nosedive just knocked Jarski out of his skates! If anything, he looks like he's going through teen life crisis! One's gotta wonder what is going on inside that head."

Canard looked towards the weight room's door. "Yeah," he murmured. He sighed and stood up. Wildwing tried talking to Nosedive yesterday, and found himself shut out. Now it was Canard's turn. X

Canard was walking down the hallway when he spotted Nosedive coming his way.

"Nosedive," he called out.

Nosedive looked up, saw Canard, and rolled his eyes. He turned around and began walking away from Canard, angering the older duck.

Canard hurried over and grabbed Nosedive's arm.

"Stop right there, kid," he demanded.

"Man, what is your problem?"

"We need to talk."

Nosedive pulled his arm away. "No we don't!"

"Yes, we do! I'm a bit sick of this spoiled brat behavior you've been pulling."

"I'm not behaving like a spoiled brat, man, so lay off!"

"You know, if we were back on Puckworld, you would have been kicked out a long time ago! But since we're here, we have to make the best of it. You need to seriously adjust this attitude of yours or we'll just go on without you! Even if it means locking you in your room like some hatchling to keep you out of trouble!"

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me!"

"This is like so not cool."

"Tell me about it. Now are you going to listen or not?"

Nosedive let out a harsh laugh. "If it'll get you to leave me alone, I might as well. Other than that, I really don't have a choice!"

"Yes, you do, Nosedive. You can either drop the attitude and be part of the team or just get out of our way."

Nosedive and Canard glared at each other. Nosedive looked away first, looking sullen.

"Whatever," he muttered. "I need some air."

With that, Nosedive sidestepped Canard and walked away.

Canard clenched his jaw as he stared after the kid. Just what was it with these little trips?

He suddenly had a growing feeling of dread. What if the kid was up to something illegal? For Wildwing's sake, he hoped not. X

"Hey, Wing," Canard called out. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Wildwing stepped away from Mallory and Tanya. "Yes?"

Canard motioned with his head to the furthest corner of the room. Both drakes walked over.

"Um, Wildwing. Do you have any idea where Nosedive runs off to?"

Wildwing frowned. "I assume it would be to the comic book store with his friends Trash and Mookie. Or just hang around the mall in the arcades and stuff."

"Are you sure?"

Wildwing fidgeted a bit. "I use to be. Not anymore."

Canard nodded thoughtfully. "You mind checking out Nosedive's usual hangout?"

Wildwing looked up at him, a wary expression on his face. "Why?"

Canard sighed. "I'm hoping I'm wrong, Wing, but I have a feeling he's up to something that could get him in trouble."

Wildwing's eyes looked trouble. He gave a weak smile. "I was hoping I was the only one who felt that way."

"Why don't you take Grin with you and just go looking around? Hopefully he is just hanging out doing nothing."

Wildwing nodded. X

"No, man. Nosedive hasn't dropped by."

"Yeah, like as in forever. We were wondering if something, like, happened to him?"

Wildwing sighed as Trash and Mookie asked their questions. "No," he responded. "Do you know where he might also go?"

"Well, there's the arcade room. It's pretty dark in there and you could kind of lose yourself, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah," added Mookie.

"Okay, thanks."

Wildwing walked out of the comic book store. Grin was waiting for him outside. Wildwing shook his head.

"He hasn't been in there for a while."

"Then we just keep looking," responded Grin.

"This is just so frustrating! What if Canard's feeling are right? What if Nosedive is up to no good. I was hoping I'd find him here."

"Don't be so hasty to condemn your brother," said Grin. "There could be a very innocent reason for his disappearances."

Wildwing looked up at Grin. "You don't really believe that, do you?" he asked.

Grin looked at the ground. "No," he answered truthfully. "I have the same fears." X

Canard noticed the defeated look in Wildwing's eyes as he approached him.

"You didn't find him," he stated.

Wildwing and Grin shook their heads.

"And he hasn't shown up back here either."

Canard looked around, not sure of what to do next. Then he got an idea.

"Wildwing, if you don't mind, I'm going to have Duke follow Nosedive next time he leaves."

Wildwing nodded. X

Duke pulled his hat down over his face as he crossed the street and towards the mall. Wherever Nosedive had been yesterday, it seemed that he was going back to his old habits.

Duke watched from a distance as Nosedive passed the comic book store without a second glance. How odd.

Nosedive continued walking as if he needed to be somewhere real soon. Duke followed. X

Nosedive was fuming mad. He really couldn't stand being at The Pond anymore. Canard was driving him nuts, and so was Wildwing.

He sighed, wishing he were someplace else but here. But this was the only place that nobody paid attention to him. He was such a regular here that he only drew a few stares. Anywhere else and people flocked to him, asking for autographs and dates. It was amusing at first, but  
then it got boring fast.

He paused a moment, suddenly having the feeling that he was being watched. He turned around and spotted no one out of the ordinary. At least, no one looking directly at him. People were just walking, talking, laughing. A few were sitting on benches, and several kids on skateboards  
were harassing some old lady.

Nosedive narrowed his eyes as he spotted a large bush that looked like someone was hiding behind it. He shook his head and wondered if he was getting paranoid.

Nosedive turned around and slowly began to walk. He checked the windows of the mall's shops. There in the reflection he spotted someone tailing him. His jaw twitched when he realized who it was. X

Duke held his breath when Nosedive turned around. There was a moment when the kid stared at his direction for a while. But then he continued as if it were nothing. Duke let out his breath.

He got out from behind the bush, being careful to keep his distance. He watched as Nosedive continued walking, occasionally stopping in front of some shops. The last one got Duke's attention. It was some sort of military shop, with all sorts of weapons that could be purchased.

Nosedive stood staring through the window for a few moments. Then he got tense. He abruptly turned away and headed towards a different direction.

Duke almost lost him.

"Where the heck are you going, kid?" he murmured, as he lagged behind.

He saw Nosedive pull out a pair of shades as he slowed down. He stopped one more time in front of a snack bar. Duke saw him buy a bag of cookies and a soda. Then the kid walked away and entered the arcade room.

Duke walked in and paused at the door way. It was incredibly dark in there! He stepped in and growled at a person who bumped into his side. His eyes slowly got adjusted to the dim lighting.

He walked around, arcade game to arcade game, hoping to spot Nosedive from a distance. What he failed to realize was just how big the game room was.

Duke looked around and cursed himself when he realized that he had lost the kid in the crowd.

Then he realized that his wallet was also gone.

"I hate my life," he muttered.

Duke walked out of the room.

"I don't believe this!" he muttered to himself, looking around for a security guard. None was in sight.

_How humiliating!_ he thought to himself. _How could I have not noticed someone pickpocket my wallet?_

He kicked at the floor and turned to walk back to The Pond.

Instead, he came face to face with an angry Nosedive.

"Kid!" he blurted out.

"What? You get a kick out of following me now? Acting like you're some private eye following a criminal?"

Nosedive's shouting was getting some attention.

"Easy, kid. I wasn't following you around," Duke said, hoping to distract Nosedive into calming down.

Nosedive glanced around, noticing the people who were starting to stare.

"You are nothing but a filthy liar," Nosedive hissed, keeping his voice down. "I saw you following me."

"Kid, I was not. Just so happened that you and I were at the same place. I like coming here."

"You like the arcades, too?" snapped Nosedive.

"I, uh, well, it looked like my type of place," Duke responded defensively.

Nosedive narrowed his eyes. "Whatever man. I have enough coming from Wildwing and Canard. But you? You're just as bad as the rest of them."

Nosedive threw something small at Duke. "Thanks for the loan," he muttered, then turned to walk away.

Duke looked down to see what the object was. He felt his face turn hot with embarrassment when he realized that it was his wallet. X

"Well?" asked Canard as Duke walked into the den.

"The kid lost me and stole my money."

"What?" asked Wildwing, in shock.

"You heard me. The little brat actually figured it out that I was following him and lost me. Right after he managed to take my wallet. He must have walked right by me while my eyes were getting adjusted to the light."

Canard shook his head. "Well, this is great. I guess I should follow him. After all, it was my idea. Never seems to work when I ask one of you guys to do it." X

Canard was watching the Pond through a pair of binoculars. He spotted Nosedive sneaking out. "We'll find out what you've been up to," he muttered to himself.

Canard quickly ran to the fire escape ladder and climbed down. On the floor, he spotted Nosedive walking towards the direction opposite of the mall.

Canard followed quietly, keeping his distance.

The streets down this direction didn't seem too friendly. If anything, it seemed like a place that guaranteed trouble. The streets were filthy, windows were barred, and hardly anybody was on the sidewalks.

Nosedive walked like he knew were he was going.

Canard ducked behind a wall when the kid suddenly stopped. Using the mask to track body heat, Canard could make out the kid looking around. Was it possible that the kid had spotted him? X

Nosedive had that creepy feeling that he was being followed again. He stopped and whirled around, catching a glimpse of something ducking into an alley. Nosedive narrowed his eyes.

Canard. He was sure of that.

Which meant that he would be using the mask.

At first, Nosedive felt an overwhelming sense of anger. Then a slow smile grew on his face. Well, if Canard wanted to play. . .

Nosedive began to walk towards some abandoned buildings. He knew there was a construction site nearby.

He reached one building and went in. X

Canard frowned as the kid went into the building.

It was an old building, several signs reading that it had been condemned and to keep out. Canard walked in and looked around.

The place was dark. Several bits of lumber were laying about, and there was evidence that some people slept there. Old sleeping bags littered one corner and there were several shabby clothing on the floor. Canard stepped further into the building.

He stopped when he heard a noise. It sounded like wood cracking. Canard moved further in and came upon another empty room. This one had a window missing the glass pane. Canard spotted Nosedive outside moving towards another building.

Canard swore to himself and went through the window. He leaped over a wooden board that was laying underneath it. He then hurried over to the next building. X

"Comet dust!" Nosedive swore softly as he landed on the wooden board. He hurried over to the building in front of him.

Oh, well. So Canard would know which way to go. Things were going to get a bit harder now.

Nosedive walked into the building and took off at a jog. He ran to the nearest staircase and climbed up to the second floor. Once there he went into one of the rooms. He pried a window open and climbed out. Using the rusted fire escape ladders, Nosedive climbed up two more stories.

He went in through that window, being careful not to cut himself with the jagged edges of the broken glass. He broke the door open and stepped out into the hall. Several rats and roaches scattered out of the way.

"This sure ain't no five star," he muttered to himself. "Yo, say hi to Mickey for me, will you?" he muttered, watching one bold rat stop in front of him. It twitched its nose and then crawled away.

Nosedive then walked to the broken down elevator well. He pried the doors open with his bare hands and peered up. He could see the bottom of the elevator. Perfect. He looked down. Yeah, the cables seemed sturdy enough. X

Canard grumbled to himself. "I swear, that kid knows I'm following him. And if that's the case, he's doing a pretty darn good job trying to lose me."

He used the mask to look around. Nosedive wasn't on the first floor. Glancing up, Canard detected some body heat on the second floor. Canard shut off the scanner and looked for some stairs. He found them and smirked when he was able to make out the footprints in the dust.

"Then again, maybe not," he said.

Canard went up and tracked the footsteps. He came across a room with an open window. Stepping into it, he could see more steps in the dust. Canard hurried to the window and peeked out. The fire escape ladder was rusted over, and the part leading to the bottom looked broken. That left only one direction. Up.

Canard sighed as he stepped out onto the railings. Canard climbed up. He skipped the next floor since it looked like it wasn't bothered. The floor after that had a broken window. Canard stared at it doubtfully. It really looked unsafe.

But if Nosedive knew he was being followed, then this would be a definite choice.

Canard climbed in, letting out a hiss of pain as one of the jagged edges of glass nicked the palm of his hand. He then heard a soft sliding sound that faded into nothing. Canard stepped into the hall and looked down both directions. He spotted nothing. But he did see an open elevator shaft. Walking over to it, Canard  
peered down.

There at the bottom he saw light streaming in through the first floor's open doors.

"Space dust!" he growled as he quickly scanned the surrounding areas. Nothing.

Canard leaped into the shaft, grabbing hold of the elevator cables that were still intact. He slid down. The readings still showed nothing. Canard ran out of the building, hoping to catch a sight of Nosedive. All he saw was a lone bus leaving a stop, and a couple of shabbily dressed people crossing the street.

"I don't believe this," he groaned. X

Nosedive watched as Canard ran out of the building, wildly looking around. The bus lurched forward.

Nosedive narrowed his eyes. That ought to teach Canard a thing or two. X

Canard walked into the pond, head down, lost in thought.

Canard jumped back in surprise as Nosedive stepped in front of him.

"Who in black holes do you think you are following me?!" the teen shouted.

Canard remained silent, having been caught quite off guard. Then he got angry.

"What do you think? You keep taking off to places unknown without telling anyone! You've got your brother going crazy with worry and everyone else on the edge."

"Sorry for being such a pain," Nosedive said sarcastically. "That still doesn't answer the question as to why you're having me followed."

"I don't have to answer that. I'm your leader."

"You're nothing but a big hypocrite! You keep telling us that you'll build on our strengths, and you have done that with everyone but me! What are my strengths?! Have you bothered to ask? You don't know squat about me! You are not the fair leader you make yourself out to be."

"That is very close to insubordination, duckling," Canard growled. "You've been getting a nasty attitude lately that I'm beginning to wonder whether you're involved in anything illegal. I should have talked your brother into leaving you behind, you snot. . ."

Canard was interrupted by Nosedive's sudden tackle.

Things happened rather quick. One second Canard is fighting off Nosedive, the next he's being helped up by Mallory and Wildwing. Standing across him, Nosedive was trying to pull free from Tanya and Duke.

Grin stood to one side, ready to assist either group.

Nosedive calmed down and just glared at Canard.

"Go to your room, Dive," Wildwing said wearily, eyes downcast. Never had he felt so ashamed of his little brother.

Nosedive opened his beak to say something to Wildwing, then closed it. He gave Canard one more dirty look then pulled away from Tanya and Duke and walked further into the Pond.

The other ducks looked at each other, not knowing what they were going to do. X

Nightbloom stared at the glowing orb of light in front of her. She began to smile.

Chameleon walked into the room to pick up a canister that was next to the door.

Nightbloom let out a deep chilling chuckle that sent a shiver down Chameleon's back. Chameleon quickly left the room.

"Oh, my little one," Nightbloom said, still looking at the orb. "The time is near."

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks. . .

* * *

"There are new energy crystals being worked on at Lisa's Labs. This would be a perfect place to launch Phase 3."

Dragaunus stared warily at Nightbloom. "I take it you're not coming on this one."

"No," she said. "I am not fighting your battles now. Only aiding you with plans. I have told you that. But I am giving you this. It's an energy shield. It will be part of our plan that will lead to the separation and destruction of the Ducks."

* * *

"Get your hands off me, Wildwing," Nosedive growled.

"Dive, I need you to just stand still and listen to me for a minute! And talk to me!"

"Why bother," sneered the younger brother. "You always take Canard's side!"

* * *

"Name's Darkflame," said the duck that looked similar to Nosedive. He let out a high pitched giggle. "Bet you want to know what happened to your brother."

Wildwing pounded against the energy shield. "What have you done with him?" he cried out in anger.

The Saurians and the strange duck began to laugh. "Wouldn't you like to know?"


	9. Traitor

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: The ducks are hit with a heavy blow as they meet their newest and greates foe, Darkflame.

Traitor

"Why aren't we out there wasting ducks?" growled Siege.

"Indeed," said Dragaunus, glaring at Nightbloom.

The female Saurian calmly stood at the computer terminals, going over some information. She gave no sign of hearing either male.

Lord Dragaunus stalked over to where Nightbloom stood. "Well," he demanded.

"Well, what?" responded Nightbloom, in her infuriating bored voice.

"What exactly is it that you plan to do now?"

"I have several plan. Question is, which one do you want to follow."

"What?"

"Your choice, Dragaunus. We can either watch the ducks fall further apart with their own problems, or we can pull in the secret weapon."

"We can do that?" Dragaunus asked.

"We can do it now. The timing is right. However, it doesn't mean that it will bring the defeat of the ducks any faster."

Dragaunus stood still for a moment, thinking. "I want to bring him in as soon as possible," he said.

"Fine," responded Nightbloom. "Now leave while I try to find the perfect set up." X

Duke watched as Nosedive skated around the ice, hockey stick in hand. If anything, the kid looked like his mind was on something else other than practice. Unfortunately, it seemed like Wildwing noticed too.

Under different circumstances, it would have been a good thing. Normally, the kid would be ecstatic at any attention from his team mates. But lately, the kid abhorred it. Not to mention the latest escapade seemed to have left the kid feeling betrayed.

That also left Duke feeling like a heel.

After all, he had been the one to agree to following the kid.

At first the kid reacted in anger, and had taken Duke's wallet without him knowing. That alone was a shock to the duck who had considered himself a master thief.

But now the kid would throw him strange looks, looks that seemed to be saying he couldn't trust him anymore.

Duke hated that.

Wildwing skated over to Nosedive.

"Hey, baby bro," he said softly.

"Don't! Call. . . me. . . that," Nosedive said, rather forcefully. "I am not a baby, and I'm not exactly a kid. Do me a favor and leave me alone."

Wildwing stepped back, in shock. His brother was getting more distant by the day. And while it hurt him, it also angered him.

"All right, Nosedive," Wildwing snapped, drawing the attention of everyone one the ice. Even Phil looked up from whatever phone call he was making.

"I am sick of this attitude you have, and I'm tired of you trying to make it seem like it's my fault. I want an answer right here and right now, just what is your problem?"

"My problem, Wing? My problem is that you all never know when I need you and when I don't. Like now. Just lay off!" X

"There are new energy crystals being worked on at Lisa's Labs. This would be a perfect place to launch Phase 3." Nightbloom handed Dragaunus some papers.

Dragaunus stared warily at the female Saurian. "I take it you're not coming on this one."

"No," she said. "I am not fighting your battles now. Only aiding you with plans. I have told you that. But I am giving you this. It's an energy shield. It will be part of our plan that will lead to the separation and destruction of the Ducks."

Dragaunus gave a gleeful chuckle. "About time," he said.

Nightbloom suddenly rubbed her pendant. Then she gave a cold and calculating smile. "Yes. I'd say the time is very near." X

"Get your hands off me, Wildwing," Nosedive growled.

"Dive, I need you to just stand still and listen to me for a minute! And talk to me!"

"Why bother?" sneered the younger brother. "You always take Canard's side!"

Mallory realized that the situation was about to get ugly. She hesitated though about going to Wildwing's aid. He and Canard seemed to be trying to deal with Nosedive their own way. She didn't agree with the way they were handling it, but at the same time, it wasn't her business to interfere.

"Kid. . . I mean, Nosedive," said Duke, skating over to the brothers.

"Don't you come near me," Nosedive ordered, backing away.

Duke stopped.

Nosedive glared at all of them. "Just leave me alone, okay? I can deal with this myself. I just need some time alone instead of having all of you hovering." The young duck skated off the rink.

The other ducks just watched.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Grin.

"Me, too," agreed Wildwing. "Me, too." X

"I really hate this," grumbled Siege.

"Yeah!" agreed Chameleon. "How can we mess up her plans when she's not even joining us?"

"She had better join us soon," said Wraith. "Or I will do my best to make Dragaunus suspicious of her."

"Here she comes," Siege warned them.

Nightbloom made her way to the three henchmen.

She stared at them for a moment. "You will do as Dragaunus says, and you shall not deviate from his orders. To do so will result in instant discipline, which I will gladly do. It is important for the sake of the mission."

"Aren't you going to tell us those orders?" Siege asked.

"No. It's on a need to know basis, and right now, you do not need to know. Dragaunus will let you know when it is time." X

Nosedive sat in the high section of the stadium. He fiddled around with the pendant around his neck. It made him feel calm, for some reason, and at the same time, he knew that something big was going to happen. And he couldn't wait for it to happen.

Nosedive smirked as he watched his team mates playing on the ice. It seemed that they gave up on him. They were no longer seeking him out for practice. It also seemed like they were ignoring him. But then again, he was getting better at sneaking around.

He was able to steal Duke's wallet not to long ago. What other things could he do? X

"I still think we can take the ducks by surprise if you appear now," said Dragaunus. "Your skills are worthy for a female, and I . . ."

"Silence," snapped Nightbloom. "Anything more and you may insult me. Then what, Civilian? It is important for none of the ducks to see me. To see me now will ruin everything that I am setting up, with your help."

Dragaunus let out a small growl of frustration. She was up to something, but what?

Nightbloom pulled out something small from the folds of her cloak.

"Here," she said. "This is the energy shield I told you about. You will use it when the ducks are in position. Remember. None of them are to be hurt this time. Be careful not to fire your own weapon. While it keeps them momentarily trapped, it will also protect them. At the same time, it will protect you."

Off to the side, Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith stood watching. They looked at each other as Nightbloom stretched to whisper something in Dragaunus' ear. The Saurian bent down a bit to make it easier. A small look of doubt and disgust flitted over his face. He pulled back.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"That was the phrase I embedded in him," Nightbloom responded.

The other three Saurians looked at each other again. What on Saurian skies were they talking about? X

"Teleportal reading at Lisa's Labs," exclaimed Tanya.

"Definitely has to be Old Dragon's breath," said Duke.

"Then lets roll," said Canard.

"Dive, you coming?" asked Wing, as the ducks began to head to the Aerowing.

Nosedive glared at his brother. "What. You don't think I'm good enough to help now?"

"No, I was just. . ."

"Whatever." Nosedive brushed past him. "Kicking some Saurian tale will make my day."

Grin watched Nosedive board the Aerowing. He felt perplexed, as if the kid being here was not a good idea. The vibes he was getting were so wrong, that he couldn't help but feel afraid for Dive.

He started to approach Nosedive, but stopped. No. The kid wouldn't take to kindly to his words now. He may see it as an insult.

Grin sat in his place and spared one more glance at Nosedive. The kid looked all right, sullen, but fine. Maybe it was just the negative karma that had been going around.

Grin turned around, and missed the smirk that suddenly appeared on Nosedive's beak. X

"I still don't know about this," said Chameleon. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we deviate from the original plan," said Dragaunus.

"Oh goodie!" Chameleon morphed into a little kid. "We're gonna roast some ducks," he said in a sing-song voice.

"We don't know that yet," growled Dragaunus. "If Nightbloom's plan works, then we'll actually have more fun tormenting the ducks before we finish them off!" There was an evil glint in Dragaunus's eye.

"Just remember. We're not aiming for casualties this time."

"Just a whooooole lot of pain," crowed Chameleon. X

"They're in there all right," muttered Canard, as he scanned the laboratory building with the mask.

"Then lets crash the party!" Nosedive remarked with a playful grin.

The ducks looked at him with curiosity, Wildwing and Duke exchanging content smiles. That sounded a lot more like the old Nosedive they knew. Maybe all he needed was to get back into some good old fighting with Dragaunus.

"That's the spirit, kid," said Duke.

Nosedive flashed him a smile.

The ducks turned around and proceeded to head towards the lab. They missed the smirk that suddenly crossed the young duck's face.

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath. X

"Knowing the ducks, they should be here any second," muttered Dragaunus. "Siege, Chameleon! Gather the crystals!" Dragaunus tossed a small bag towards his two henchmen.

Siege caught it. "Okay, boss," he said.

He held the bag open as Chameleon pick up the multicolored crystals that were lying on a stand. Chameleon dumped them into the bag.

"Not so fast!" they heard Canard say.

"Oh, no," Wraith said, rather flatly. "It's those cursed ducks."

"And Wraith certainly won't be winning any Emmy's anytime soon," quipped Chameleon. He morphed into the ogre type creature and said in a deep booming voice, "Now it's crunchin time!"

"Ducks rock!" the ducks shouted, leaping into the room.

Chaos broke out. X

Nightbloom watched the fight breaking out. She smiled.

The time had come for Phase Three. X

Wraith grunted as Duke knocked him to the floor. He retaliated with a fireball which Duke dodged expertly.

"I hope she gives us the signal real soon," Wraith growled.

Dragaunus fired a few laser bolts, purposely missing the ducks.

Canard, Wildwing, and Mallory ducked behind some file cabinets to avoid being blasted.

"Either his aim is getting bad or he's just toying with us," Mallory observed, seeing how far the lasers landed.

"Yeah," said Wildwing, firing a few puck in Dragaunus's direction.

Dragaunus returned fire.

Grin, in the meantime, was trapped in a bear hug by Siege. He felt the Saurian's grip loosen. The duck broke loose and landed a hard punch against Siege's face.

The Saurian went flying back.

Tanya and Nosedive were aiming their puck launchers at Chameleon.

"You'll never get me alive, ya see!" sneered Chameleon, having morphed into a gangster. He fired several laser bolts while Nosedive and Tanya leaped behind a counter.

Tanya and Nosedive covered their heads as several glass containers broke into hundreds of pieces.

"We're like, uh, ducks in a barrel back here!" Tanya exclaimed.

"Then it's time to spread our wings and fly," said Dive. "You go that way, I'll go this way." Nosedive pointed in opposite directions. "We'll catch him from both sides."

Tanya nodded and hurried to the other end of the counter as Nosedive made his way to his side.

"On the count of three, Tawny," he said. "Three!"

Both ducks charged Chameleon, who stopped firing in surprise.

Grin, in the meantime, threw a hard punch, catching Siege in the jaw. The Saurian went flying back, and so did a small bag.

"The crystals!" shouted Dragaunus, catching them. He spotted Wildwing and Canard charging him. "Chameleon!" Dragaunus threw the bag.

Chameleon leaped over Nosedive and Tanya, and caught the bag.

"Not so fast!" said Duke, knocking the bag out of Chameleon's hand.

It flew into Nosedive's hands.

Wraith struck the duck with his staff, sending him across the room.

"Dive!" shouted Wildwing.

Nosedive stood up. "Just knocked the wind out of me!" he shouted. "Mal!" Nosedive threw the bag to Mallory, who was the closest to him. She caught the bag.

"Enough!" shouted Dragaunus, pulling out a remote. He pushed the button.

A blue energy shield went up, separating the Saurians and Nosedive on one side, the rest of the ducks on the other.

"Nosedive!" shouted Wildwing, seeing his brother standing alone.

Dragaunus began to laugh. "What does it feel like knowing you can't protect you brother?" he said.

"Don't you dare touch a feather on him!"

"Or what?" Dragaunus pulled out a small container from a pouch in his robes. He poured out some powder into his claw.

"How do you think he felt when you weren't there to save him? And how do you feel knowing that you had never really gotten your brother at all?"

"What?" cried the ducks.

Nosedive let out a strange giggle.

"Welcome home, my son," said Dragaunus, throwing the powder at Nosedive. It exploded into a dark green mist, completely enveloping the younger duck. As it cleared, the ducks were stunned to see what appeared to be a darker version of Nosedive.

His hair was jet black, and a black flame decorated his beak. His eyes were black with white pupils, and he was dressed in dark colored robes, very much like a Saurian.

"Name's Darkflame," said the duck , snapping his fingers and producing a black flame. "Impostor extrordinaire." He let out another high pitched giggle. "Bet you want to know what happened to your real brother."

Wildwing pounded against the energy shield. "What have you done with him?" he cried out in anger.

The Saurians and the strange duck began to laugh. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Let's just say that your darling brother is trapped in his own personal limbo, thanks to you."

"I don't get it," murmured Canard, scanning Darkflame with his mask. "According to the mask, physically speaking, that is Nosedive. But the brain scan shows. . ."

"That I am an entirely different duck!" finished Darkflame, with an evil grin. "And so I am."

Darkflame stepped up closer to the energy shield, so that he was only a foot away from Wildwing.

"If it's any consolation. . ." he said, waving his hands and producing a transparent image of Nosedive, attached to a helmet with wires, ". . . his last thoughts were of you, Wildwing."

"Wildwing," murmured the voice in the image. "Help. Please?" The last word was said with despair.

Wildwing let out a cry as he pounded the shield. "You snakes!"

Darkflame and the Saurians laughed. The duck stepped back from the shield.

"Thanks to the Saurians, they pretty much broke him, allowing me access to take over." Darkflame shrugged his shoulder. "You may have the crystals, but we have something more of value to you."

"Have a good day," chuckled Dragaunus. "Time's wasting," he suddenly barked.

Wraith, Chameleon, and Siege disappeared in a green flash.

Dragaunus placed a hand over Darkflame's shoulder. "My condolences on your loss," he said. Both of them disappeared with a laugh.

The blue energy shield died down.

"Nosedive," Wildwing whispered, dropping down the his knees.

The other ducks stood still, a mixture of disbelief and shock, at the sudden turn of events.

To be continued. . .

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks. . .

* * *

A reporter thrust a microphone under Wildwing's beak. "Is it true? Has Nosedive been kidnapped? If so, how do you feel?"

"Back off!" shouted Canard, angered at how the reporters held no regard for anyone's feelings. He grasped Wildwing and pulled him away to safety.

* * *

"We'll find Nosedive, you'll see," said Canard.

"Yeah, right," muttered Duke, skating off the ice rink.

Canard stayed where he was, feeling unsure of what to do. He glanced at the clock overhead. He looked down and shook his head. Wildwing wasn't going to show.

He looked up at Tanya, Grin, and Mallory. "Practice is cancelled," he said.

* * *

"We need to talk," said Klegghorn. "Is Nosedive or not missing?"

"It's kind of complicated," Wildwing muttered.

"More so than the Saurians that are trying to rule the world?"

"Pretty much," grumbled Duke.

"Swell. Another problem on my hands."

"Another, sir?" asked Mallory.

"Yeah. You know that robber that the kid caught robbing Anaheim's National? Well, someone busted him out."


	10. Jail Break

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Darkflame begins with breaking out a criminal that Nosedive had helped put away.

Jail Break

Klegghorn's face remained neutral despite the sadness he felt at the sight of Wildwing's face. The ex-team captain had a defeated look and his eyes were bright from unshed tears.

"C'mon," said Klegghorn, his gruff voice more quiet than usual. "The only thing I can think of is to write a report. Missing celebrities are priorities."

Captain Klegghorn missed the look that the other ducks made among each other.

"Youse are just six ducks!" Klegghorn continued. "It'll take forever for youse to find Nosedive. With a report, you'll have the whole Anaheim police force scouring the streets. And if we have to, all of California!"

"But we can't afford to have this situation be known to the public just yet," said Canard.

"I agree with you there," said Klegghorn with a sigh. "The public can be helpful, but they can also hinder any investigations with false leads, especially the ones looking for fifteen minutes of fame."

"Then lets go fill out that report," said Canard.

"Yeah," murmured Wildwing, standing up. X

"I can't believe you're having me call that duck 'son!'" hissed Dragaunus, pointing at the dark haired duck known as Darkflame.

Nightbloom just raised an eyebrow. "I didn't tell you to call him son. That was just for the code phrase. You have been calling him son on your own."

"What?"

Nightbloom stood up from the chair she was sitting in. "It's rather useful, actually. Do you know anything about the history of Puckworld, the times before the first Saurian Invasion?"

Dragaunus stepped back in surprise. Did she just switch subjects or was this a trick question. "No," he answered.

"Then let me tell you a story of a time long before the first Saurian Invasion. . ." X

_The skies were dark with black clouds. The sky had a dark orange glow as if it were on fire. A lone duck wearing a long braid of long hair walked through what was left of his village. Nothing much was there save a few burning huts. He kept back his tears of sorrow and rage as he silently swore to stop Northblade and his protege, Darkflame._

_Several miles away from the destroyed village stood a tall duck clothed in dark robes. His silvery hair was a contrast to his black feathers. A large sword hung from his belt. He smiled darkly as a younger duck approached him. The younger duck was wearing robes similar to his. His feathers were still the yellow color of a duck not fully mature. Raven dark hair made him seem pale._

_Northblade thought back to his ingenious plan. All ducks knew that a hatchling would bond to the first living duck it saw, whether it was its parent or not. Northblade used that knowledge to build his army. Most of the soldiers were young ducks whom had been stolen away while they were still eggs. _

_Upon hatching, Northblade made sure he was present. Now he had an army of loyal soldiers who would follow their "father" to the ends of the world._

_The younger duck before him was his favorite among the clan. Not only did he become a great soldier in youth, but he also had the abilities of dark powers that Northblade had. Together, Northblade was positive that they would rule the world._

_The older duck chuckled as the younger duck made his way to him. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by another soldier._

_"Sir, Northblade! There's a band of rebels coming from the east!"_

_Northblade growled. "Join me," he said to Darkflame. He held out his hand. Darkflame grasped it, and they both closed their eyes._

_"Oh, stars!" muttered Darkflame. "It's that wretched rebel leader Winds Sunbeam!"_

_"I thought we killed him in the village!"_

_"Obviously not." Darkflame opened his eyes as did Northblade. "Let's throw them a welcoming party!"_

_"My sentiments exactly."_

_Later in the day, a duck with a band of warriors approached an abandoned camp._

_"It doesn't look like anyone's here, Winds," said one warrior._

_"Something's amiss," Winds responded. "They destroyed my village earlier today. They would have camped here and had a victory celebration."_

_At that moment, a whole band of soldiers came charging from the bushes and trees surrounding them._

_"It's an ambush!" yelled one of the warriors. _

_"Death over slavery!" shouted Winds. His warriors yelled in agreement and charged into the fight._

_It was a long and bloody one, but Winds prevailed. His small band of warriors defeated the soldiers, killing most, maiming the rest. However, he had lost more than half of his warriors as well._

_A clapping sound caught his attention. A heavy mist crept in, and when it cleared, Northblade and Darkflame stood in front of them._

_"Well done," said Northblade, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You've managed to defeat my children. But for that, you will have to pay."_

_"No," responded Winds. "We've dealt with you for a long time. This planet deserves to be free!"_

_"And it will be. Free to worship me and my children!" Northblade gestured at Darkflame._

_The young duck stepped forward, taking off his cloak. "Celebration time!" he chuckled, before sending a blast of fire in the direction of Winds and his warriors._

_They all dodged._

_Northblade stepped forward. Using his powers, he began to send stones from the ground in every direction. A few warriors fell when the stones struck them._

_Winds cursed under his breath and made his way around the two sorcerors. A plan began to emerge from his head. He pulled a shield from one of Northblade's soldiers. Supposedly, they had been shielded against magical attacks. Winds hoped it was true._

_"Where's Winds?" Darkflame asked, as the last of the warriors fell._

_"Right here," responded the leader._

_"Exactly where I want you," hissed Northblade. A glowing ball of light appeared in his hand. He threw it at Winds. _

_Winds stood his ground as the ball came closer. At the last possible moment, he pulled the shield from behind him and blocked the ball._

_The ball struck the shielf and bounced back._

_"Look out!" shouted Northblade. But it was too late. The ball struck Darkflame in the chest. The young duck only had time to let out a cry of pain as his body was reduced to ashes._

_"No!" whispered Northblade, sinking to his knees._

_Winds stood above him._

_"You win," Northblade whispered. "I surrender. Just give me a few moments to grieve."_

_Winds stood uncertain, before deciding to grant the old wizard that privilege. He stepped back._

_Northblade reached towards the ashes and scooped them into his hands. "My son," he whispered. "You will be avenged, and you will return." The ashes glowed a green color, then they disappeared, a green marble like ball sat in their place. "When I find a suitable host, you will return."_ X

"But that was not to be. For Northblade was taken to one of his castles and held prisoner there. An angry mob blew it up, and Northblade and the stone were buried under everything. And that's where they remained, until a few months ago."

"What do you mean?"

"I was hunting an alien and one of his brief stops was at Puckworld, where I learned what had happened to you. While I was there, I found some ancient ruins, and an incantation that I memorized."

"And the stone?"

"Darkflame has been wearing it for some time."

Dragaunus looked over at Darkflame who was standing at the controls. He eyed the pendant that the duck was wearing.

"But there was a problem that I was aware of to expect."

Dragaunus shifted his eyes back to Nightbloom. "What?"

"Having been trapped for so long, Darkflame has no real recollection of his past. All he has now are glimpses of Nosedive's past. But while I preformed the spell, I used my machine to interject some new false memories into their minds. The most important being that you were the first being Darkflame saw when he hatched. That is why he's taken to calling you. . .'Dad.'" Nightbloom gave a small smirk.

Dragaunus growled.

Nightbloom's brief moment of amusement faded, and she took a more serious expression. "As long as you don't grow attached to him, you'll be fine. Emotions can be the downfall of everyone, as it was of Northblade's." She smirked again. "Just think of him as another henchman. Only Darkflame will have a stronger need to make daddy proud."

Both were interrupted by laughter. Dragaunus and Nightbloom turned around to look at Darkflame.

"Hey, what's so funny?" asked Chameleon, standing not to far from Darkflame.

"I just got off the phone with the last of the news stations in Anaheim," said Darkflame. "They are on their way to question the Mighty Ducks about the disappearance of Nosedive!"

"And?" prompted Dragaunus.

Darkflame let out another chuckle. "Canard strikes me as the kind of duck to keep things quiet. And Wildwing? That poor sap will probably have a mental breakdown with all the reporters asking 'How does it feel to have your brother kidnaped?'"

Dragaunus glanced at Nightbloom and then looked at the giant screen. One corner of his mouth lifted up a bit. "Turn it on," he said. X

Klegghorn and Wildwing reached the exit. "You wanna ride with me or do you want to take yer own vehicle?"

"We'll follow you," said Canard, bringing up the rear.

Klegghorn opened the door and was shocked to find a huge group of people waiting for them. Camera lights flashed as a whole lot of tape recorders and microphones were pointed at them.

"Captain!" some people were shouting.

"We're live at Anaheim Pond," someone else was saying.

A reporter thrust a microphone under Wildwing's beak. "Is it true? Has Nosedive been kidnapped? If so, how do you feel?"

Wildwing froze.

More flashes of lights.

"Wildwing!"

Jumbled noises.

Yelling.

Numbness.

Nosedive was really gone.

"Everybody back!" shouted Klegghorn, losing his patience.

The reporter nearest Wildwing still wouldn't budge. "Where were you when it happened? Was there nothing you could do? Or is this some form of a publicity stunt?"

"Back off!" shouted Canard, angered at how the reporters held no regard for anyone's feelings. He grasped Wildwing and pulled him back into the doors.

Klegghorn followed.

"Stupid vultures," he growled, catching his breath. It wasn't everyday that he got mauled by reporters. He shot a look at Wildwing, and couldn't help but feel sympathy at the lost look in Wing's eyes. X

Mallory, Tanya, and Duke watched in uncomfortable silence as Wildwing trashed the locker room. They stepped out of the way of a flying helmet.

Canard stepped into the room just as Wildwing stopped throwing things about. Wildwing's breath was ragged.

Canard motioned his head towards the exit. "I'll take it from here," he told the other ducks.

Mallory and Tanya nodded and backed out of the room. Duke hesitated, then sighed as he turned and left.

Canard walked up to Wildwing. "Klegghorn left with Grin through our underground exit. How are you holding up?"

Wildwing looked up at him in disbelief. "How am I holding up?" he asked. "What do you think? All this time not one of us realized that it wasn't Nosedive acting strange. It was someone else entirely! Just what is it that they did to him? Brainwash him? Put a spell on him? What?"

Tears began to fall. "I couldn't save him," he murmured, as Canard stood next to him, his presence being the only comfort he had.

"Don't lose hope, Wing," said Canard. "Things will turn out right, you'll see." X

Darkflame let out another laugh as Dragaunus turned off the giant monitor screen.

"That face was priceless!" he said, as Dragaunus grinned maliciously.

"I must say that was a nice touch," he commented, savoring the look of utter shock that had crossed Wildwing's face when the reporter had asked him about Nosedive's whereabouts.

"Man, I love technology!" Darkflame crowed.

"Big deal," muttered Chameleon, watching the duck laugh. "A kid could have done that."

"Yeah," agreed Siege.

"I don't know who I'm going to hate more," growled Wraith. "Her or the duck."

"The duck," said Chameleon and Seige together. X

Duke skated laps around the rink trying to burn off nervous energy.

Canard glanced at his watch and sighed.

Tanya stood off to one side of the rink, looking lost.

Mallory shot pucks into the goalie's net.

Grin sat on the bench, meditating.

"He's not going to show," Duke finally said, after his eleventh turn around the ice. "And for that matter, we should be out looking for Nosedive and the Saurians."

Canard sighed. "We've already been through this. We have to keep up our skills without Nosedive. Klegghorn is doing his part while we practice and play tonight's game. Then we can all look for Nosedive till it's time for our next practice."

"So you don't think we'll find him before next practice?"

"Don't put words in my beak, Duke. I just meant that that is our game plan until we find Nosedive."

"Quit lying," Duke shot back. "You never cared for the kid anyway!"

"Just what are you implying?" demanded Canard.

"You're probably glad the kid is gone and no longer in your way!"

Mallory stopped and Grin opened his eyes.

"I am not," Canard insisted, angered that Duke thought of him that way. "I am concerned about the kid and about Wing. We have obligations to our team members but we also have them to our public! We'll find Nosedive, you'll see," said Canard.

"Yeah, right," muttered Duke, skating off the ice rink.

Canard stayed where he was, feeling unsure of what to do. He glanced at his watch again. He looked down and shook his head. Wildwing wasn't going to show.

He looked up at Tanya, Grin, and Mallory. "Practice is cancelled," he said.

"Affirmative, sir," Mallory said quietly. Tanya and Mallory skated of the rink and towards the locker rooms. Grin followed.

Canard looked around the empty arena, thinking to himself. He closed his eyes. Stars above! He had no clue as to where to go from here. X

"Well, some form of currency would be ideal," said Darkflame, looking up at Nightbloom. "Is there anything you can do about that, your Highness?" It was said with sarcasm.

Nightbloom ignored him. "I know someone who would be willing to help. You just have to release his partner."

"Why do you let her boss you around, Dad?" Darkflame muttered.

Dragaunus hid a grimace as Chameleon stiffled a laugh. "She comes from an elite group of warriors. And she's not bossing me around!" he hissed back. "She's just giving me some ideas."

"Whatever. We really don't need a female giving us ideas. We can do that on our own!"

Nightbloom raised an eyebrow.

Darkflame smiled innocently.

"If you're so sure about that, here are the objectives. Free my associate's partner, then rob a bank. Pure and simple. I'll let you, Darkflame, decide on how to do them."

"My pleasure."

Nightbloom stepped back. "I'll be watching." The female Saurian disappeared.

"She should be washing laundry or something."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," agreed Seige. Wraith poked him with his staff.

"We're suppose to be hating him more than Nightbloom," he whispered harshly. "Remember?"

"Oh, sorry."

In the meantime, Dragaunus turned to Darkflame, trying to keep the sneer out of his muzzle. "What do you propose we do?" he asked.

"Let's start with plan A, busting out whoever the witch wanted busted out." Darkflame shrug his shoulders. "And that one is an easy one. Take down the wall that is on his side and pull him out. Won't take four minutes. And with powers like these. . ." Darkflame snapped his finger, producing a black flame. "... We won't need explosives either!" X

Jarod Hinks was sitting in his cell, playing out the ideal prisoner gig. Truthfully, he hated it. He would rather be out on the streets pulling off more impossible capers.

Jarod grinded his teeth. If it weren't for the meddlesome duck back at the Annehiem Bank, he wouldn't be sitting in this dump carrying out a sentence of four years.

But his boss Richard did promise to break him out when the time was right. Was he being lied to?

Jarod stood up and made his way to the bars. At that moment, he heard a loud booming sound as the wall behind him burst inwards.

As the dust settled, Jarod coughed and tried to see through all the dirt.

A hand clamped on his wrist. "Don't just stand there. Let's go." X

Klegghorn was watching the security tapes from the earlier break out. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a familiar shape on the screen. He stopped the tape and pressed the eject button. He then took out the tape and tucked it into his trenchcoat. It was time to pay the ducks another visit, and get some answers in return. X

"Just what is the meaning of this?" Jarod demanded, seeing a humanoid duck dressed in robes standing in front of him.

Darkflame rolled his eyes. "Oy, humans are so dense. Hello? You're free. For a reason, of course."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To meet your boss. He needs you for a heist, one that is going to be run by me."

Jarod glared at the strange duck in front of him. "Whatever you say," he muttered, wondering why his boss would want to work with this humanoid. X

Richard Sawyer stood in front of a table, looking at the map that was on it. He glanced at his best worker, Jarod. It was great having him back. The female lizard stood behind him, silent. Seemed that she was not taking part in this little escapade. It was a test for the duck that stood in front of them. Off to the side where four other dinosaur type creatures, just observing.

"And that's how we avoid getting trapped in the new system," said the duck named Darkflame.

Richard nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. But what's in it for us?"

"You get fifty of whatever we get, plus any bonuses if you do a great job! I'm planning on hitting a lot more banks after this."

Nightbloom finally spoke. "Don't ever assume you will do the job right the first time," she said.

Darkflame rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Why don't you be a proper lady and, like, get us something to eat."

Nightbloom stood still, then calmly walked around Darkflame.

Dragaunus's lips twitched as Chameleon, Wraith, and Seige sniggered.

They gaped as Nightbloom dropped down and kicked at Darkflame's feet. The duck crashed to the floor. Dragaunus stepped forward, and Nightbloom motioned for him to stay where he was.

"Eat dirt," she hissed. She reached over and grabbed him by the hair. "And always respect your superiors."

"Ack, okay, okay!" Darkflame growled, struggling to stand up. Nightbloom released him.

Darkflame stood up and glared at the female Saurian. He then looked away and stepped back towards the table, seething with anger. If anything, he would not only beat the ducks, but get rid of Nightbloom, too.

"We'll target another bank just to test out our system. Then we'll rob Anahiem bank," muttered Darkflame, glaring at the two humans.

Richard and Jarod glanced at each other, and wisely kept their mouths shut. X

"It's Klegghorn," said Tanya, looking at the monitor.

"Let him in," said Canard.

The doors to the Ready room slid open.

"Klegghorn," greeted Wildwing, half heartedly. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"We need to talk," said Klegghorn. "Is Nosedive missing or not?"

The ducks glanced at each other, not sure about what to say.

"It's kind of complicated," Wildwing muttered.

"More so than the Saurians that are trying to rule the world?"

"Pretty much," grumbled Duke.

"Swell. Another problem on my hands."

"Another, sir?" asked Mallory.

"Yeah. You know that robber that the kid caught robbing Anaheim's National? Well, someone busted him out."

"What?!" cried out the ducks.

Klegghorn nodded. "And this is what the surveillance tape caught."

Tanya took the tape and inserted it into Drake 1. The scene played out showing the convict in his cell. The wall exploded inwards and a figure flaoted through. Their faces became grin when they recognized the shape of Nosedive. Only, that wasn't really Nosedive.

"You see why I asked?"

Wildwing turned to Klegghorn. "His name is Darkflame, and he's with the Saurians."

"Another duck?" Klegghorn asked flatly.

"Not exactly," responded Canard. He sighed at the face the captain made at him. "It's like Nosedive has been possessed, or brainwashed into thinking he's this Darkflame guy. According to the masks readings, physically, that is Nosedive. But the brain scan analysis say that this is someone completely different."

"And just how am I suppose to explain that to the court when I catch him?"

"I know Nosedive is in there somewhere," Wildwing pleaded. "If you just give us the time to catch him and reach him."

Klegghorn let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know why I even bother," he said. "I can't promise you anything. If I catch him first, I'll have to follow up on procedures and bring him up on charges, no matter who he is. But if you catch him first and bring him back to his old self, I may be able to pull the case off as unsolved. That's going to be the best offer I can do."

Wildwing nodded. "That is more than generous."

"I hope youse ducks catch him quick. I have a feeling that this is going to be nothing but trouble."

The Mighty Ducks silently agreed.

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks:

"Egads!" shouted Klegghorn as he slammed his car door shut. He glanced back at the pile up of squad cars behind him.  
"Those ducks better catch him first before I do or else!"

* * *

Dragaunus let out a chuckle. "The boy is good, I'll grant him that!"

Nightbloom's face remained still.

"I hate him," growled Chameleon, in a low voice.

"At this rate, we'll be worth nothing to Lord Dragaunus," agreed Seige.

* * *

Wildwing and Canard jumped back as a large white van veered towards them.

"Look out!"

Mobs of people poured into the street, collecting the money that was trailing out of the van.

"I don't believe this!" Canard shouted, watching the van speed away.


	11. Dark Days

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: The dark days have arrived as Darkflame begins his crime spree.

Dark Days

A loud explosion shook the streets and rattled the windows of a nearby building early in the morning. People walking near the Beneficial Back screamed in panic and ran for cover as smoke billowed out of the doors.

Sirens could be heard from a distance as a second explosion rocked the streets.

A second later, a white van came peeling out from around the side of the building.

A brown car slammed on its breaks, barely avoiding a collision with the van.

Ten squad cars that were following the brown car slammed into each other, resulting in a pile up.

A white duck with black hair peered through one of the windows and waved, then burst out laughing.

Inside the brown car sat Captain Klegghorn, stunned, and then furious. He kicked the door open and stepped out.

"Egads!" he shouted, as he slammed the door shut. Klegghorn glanced back at the pile of squad cars behind him.

"Those ducks better catch him first before I do. . . or else!" he shouted. X

Duke groaned as Mallory checked him into the boards. He slid to the ground, trying to shake the stars from his vision.

"Time out!" he heard Canard shout.

"Are you okay?" he heard Mallory ask.

He heard someone skating up to him. "What's wrong, Duke?" That would be Wildwing.

"Just lost my focus," Duke muttered, trying to stand up. Mallory and Wildwing helped him.

"You've been distracted," said Canard.

"You think?" Duke shot back, shaking Wildwing's and Mallory's hands off.

Canard looked momentarily taken aback.

Mallory glared at Duke.

Tanya just stood with her mouth open.

"Duke," Wildwing admonished gently.

"Sorry, sir," Duke muttered. "The idea that the Saurians beat us once is enough to shake everyone up. And each day that passes with Nosedive under their influence is another day of defeat."

Canard wisely remained silent.

Wildwing turned away, and Duke felt a twinge of guilt. X

Phil sat in his desk, rummaging through a pile of papers and a stale sandwich. The sound of a ringing phone could be heard.

"I know it's around here somewhere," he said, pushing another stack of papers to the side. "Aha!"

Phil pulled out the phone. "Don't know why they just can't call the cell," he said to himself.

"Hello! Phil Palmfeather speaking, manager and. . ." Phil paused. "Oh, hey, Captain! His cheerful face fell. "Oh, really? Oh, man... boobula, you're killing me! Tell me it ain't so!" Phil sighed. "okay, thanks."

Phil hung up the phone and stood up, wondering how he was going to tell the ducks the latest news. X

Canard was trying to keep his anger in control. He could not believe that Duke had spoken to him with that much contempt.

"Listen, Duke," he started.

"Hey, guys," Phil interrupted. "And girls," he added, nodding towards Mallory and Tanya. "I've got some good news and some bad news."

The ducks looked at him.

"Good news is that Klegghorn spotted Dive, or Darkflame. Whatever his name is now. "

"And the bad news?" asked Wildwing, almost fearfully.

"The bad news is he was driving the get away car of a bank robbery. So now he's not only wanted for aiding the escape of a convict, but as an accessory to an armed robbery."

"Swell," muttered Canard. "Who else saw?"

"Several people nearby."

Canard shook his head in disgust. "We can only hope people don't make a connection between Nosedive's disappearance and Darkflame's appearance."

"Yeah," Duke added bitterly. "Or it may make the team look bad."

Mallory shot Duke another look as Phil agreed, oblivious to the growing resentment. X

"I need to step out," claimed Wildwing, dressed in his street gear.

"You're not the only one," spoke Canard. "Tanya and Duke stepped out. I'm ready to do the same." Canard turned away and paused. He glanced back at Wildwing.

The duck looked so miserable and lonesome.

"I could use the company, if you don't mind," Canard added, gently.

"Sure," responded Wildwing, giving Canard a small smile.

"Hey, wait for me!" they heard a voice shout.

"Both Canard and Wildwing let out a small groan.

"What is it, Phil?" Canard asked.

"Don't leave me! I mean, hey, seems like I've got stuff to do. Besides, you never know when I might need you."

Wildwing raised an eyebrow as Canard stared at Phil curiously.

Phil's self centeredness never ceased to amaze them.

Canard, Wildwing, and Phil stepped out of the Pond.

And suddenly, they were swarmed by the media.

"Mr. Wing, Mr. Wing!" some reporter was shouting. "Is your brother really missing?"

"It's been noticed that Canard has been hard on the kid. . ."

"Kidnaped or a run away?"

"Fall into the wrong crowd?"

"Rumor has it. . ."

All the voices blended into one, as Wildwing and Canard stepped back, unsure of how to proceed.

Phil was shouting, arms raised. "Right now, my clients have nothing to say. Everything that needed to be said was done at the press conference. If you still want an interview, place your bids."

"One simple question, Mr. Palmfeather," said a dark haired man. "Is this just another publicity stunt?"

Canard, Wildwing, and Phil, stood speechless. The other reporters surged forward to hear their response.

Phil was the first to snap out of it. "Of course not!" he exclaimed.

But the damage was done. The silence between the ducks and their manager seamed like an admission of guilt. The reporters began murmuring amongst themselves before shooting a new round of questions.

In the midst of the chaos, the brunette reporter that started it all, sneaked away.

Richard glanced back and grinned. "Operation Media a success," he said into a tele-comm unit.

Darkflame grinned back at him. "Excellent." X

"So," said the sales man, beaming at the man on the other side of the counter.

The blond haired man was dressed in a business suit and was wearing shades. A small smile brightened his face.

"Which will you have?" the salesman finished, motioning to the various diamond and gold bracelets and earing.

The man looked up at him. "All of them."

"Excuse me?" the salesman asked, his voice faltering.

"You heard me," the man replied, brandishing a small gun.

A loud snap followed and the room was covered with black smoke.

The few people inside screamed as several large droids appeared in the store. They smashed all the glass casings and grabbed the jewelry.

The man with the gun swept off all the bracelets in front of him into a bag.

"A pleasure doing business with you," he said.

One of the droids blasted a hole in the side of the building. The droid and the robber made their way out using the hole.

The salesman slammed the alarm button.

Outside, the blonde man jumped into a white van as the droids disappeared with the loot in a flash of green light.

The white van took off. X

Tanya was standing in front of Drake 1 when the alarm sounded. She scrambled to find the location of the disturbance and frowned. It was gone.

Canard burst in, followed by Wildwing. "Tanya, what was that?"

"I, I don't know!" she stammered. "It just came and went like that!"

The other ducks entered the room.

"We heard that alarm," said Duke.

At that moment, the screen went haywire, fuzzing everything out.

It came back into focus, revealing the face of Darkflame.

"Who's going to stop me?" he asked with a sneer. He laughed. "Loo-hoo-zers!" The transmission cut off.

"Can you get a trace on that?" Canard asked, looking at Tanya. Wildwing stood still, shocked.

"I, uh, it was reroo. . . rerah. . .re, uh, it will take days and by then. . ."

". . . they would have moved," finished Canard, with a nod.

Tanya nodded. She glanced at both ducks. "What do you think Nosedive meant by stopping him?"

"Probably playing games," muttered Canard. "I don't think he'll be a problem to deal with."

"That's where you're wrong," said Wildwing, looking up. "And for two reasons. One, I am always under-estimating my baby bro. Two, that thing controlling Nosedive is a completely different individual."

Canard turned away. "I'm kind of hoping it's just some serious brainwashing."

Tanya and Wildwing glanced at each other.

A few minutes later, Phil entered the room. "There was a jewel heist and someone reported seeing the new duck in the get away car. The whole thing took less that two minutes."

Canard and Wildwing looked at each other. X

Darkflame let out a laugh as he switched off the transmission. "Let them figure out where that one came from," he said. "This modern technology rocks! And the language is most spectacular! So, what do you think, Dad?"

Dragaunus fought the urge to grimace. He glanced at Nightbloom and could have sworn he saw her smirk for a moment.

Dragaunus stepped up to the table where the duck had placed several bags.

Darkflame opened one up and Dragaunus found himself amazed at the quantity of jewels the kid had brought in.

"Very nice," commented the saurian overlord.

Darkflame beamed.

"Cool," he said. "Now to give the humans their share." Darkflame left the room.

Dragaunus remained silent as the duck left. He then glanced at the loot on his table.

He let out a chuckle. "The boy is good, I'll grant him that!"

Nightbloom's face remained still.

On the other side of the room, Wraith, Siege, and Chameleon stood watching.

"I hate him," growled Chameleon in a low voice.

"At this rate we'll be worth nothing to Lord Dragaunus," agreed Siege.

"That duck has got to go," growled Wraith. X

Darkflame, Richard, and Jarrod were standing around a table in one of Dragaunus's planning rooms. To the side stood Dragaunus, Siege, Wraith, and Chameleon.

Richard stood staring at the map in front of him. He looked up at Darkflame, eyebrow raised.

"Well thought out plan," he said. "So simple yet no one would probably have done something so damaging. Of course, you aliens have more advanced weapons and technology."

Darkflame chuckled. "Even if we didn't have the technology, I'm positive that I would have found another way to do this."

Behind him, Dragaunus couldn't help but grin and roll his eyes. The huge amount of confidence that Darkflame was showing what amusing .

"Oh, hey, Dad," said Darkflame. "The humans and I are ready to tackle the big one. With this money, not only will we create chaos in the streets, but we'll have enough to start buying the equipment that we need to fix this hunk of metal."

Wraith rolled his eyes. "Buy? Please!"

"Yeah," added Siege. "Why buy the stuff when we can steal it."

Dragaunus looked at Darkflame, curious to know the duck's answer.

Darkflame rolled his eyes in return. "Dudes, your lack of insight is totally lame-o. Yeah, we can steal the stuff, but then, like d'uh, the Mighty Ducks may be able to figure out what we're up to. If we buy what we need, they won't be tipped off by that alarm system they have, and they won't be able to track us as easily." Darkflame then shrugged. "And by stealing the stuff we can't buy, it will also make it hard for the MD's to put two and two together!"

Dragaunus nodded slowly, impressed by the young duck's way of thinking. He dropped a claw on the duck's shoulder. "I like the way you think, Kid," he said.

Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege just looked at each other. X

The mall was practically empty as the remaining six Mighty Ducks walked inside.

Wildwing stared at the floor as he moved aimlessly through the mall.

"At least we have our secret exits," Canard commented, grateful that they had managed to avoid the reporters this time.

Beside him, Duke snorted. "This, as Nosedive would say, bites!"

Canard sighed. "Duke, we've been through this, we can't exactly look for Nosedive without any idea of where to begin!"

"Well, what about the mask?"

"This is a big city."

"That is the lamest excuse I ever heard!" Duke's voice became louder, attracting the attention several people.

"Don't do this," warned Canard.

"Why? Afraid that people will see how crummy you really are as a team captain?"

"Duke!" admonished Canard, angrily.

Duke turned and stalked away.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Grin said.

"Thanks," Canard muttered. X

"Can I help the next person?" a teller named Mabel called out. She smiled as a tiny old lady shuffled her way towards the window.

"Yes, dearee," said the old lady. "I'd like to make a withdrawal."

"Why certainly," Mabel replied, brightly, reaching for a paper slip. "How much are you planning to withdraw?"

"Everything in the vault."

"What?!" Mabel' eyes grew wide as the lady in front of her transformed into some sickly green creature.

"This is a robbery!"

"Oh, no! Not again!" Mabel pressed the alarm button. People began running out, screaming, as smoke began to fill the room. Tall robots materialized out of thin air, blocking the exits. Three more forms appeared, a duck and two saurians.

"Wraith! The vault!" shouted Darkflame.

Wraith muttered something incoherent as he blasted the wall with a fireball.

"Siege!" barked Darkflame.

Siege ran and slammed into the vault door, breaking it down.

The Saurians and Darkflame began grabbing bags of money and passing it to all the droids. X

Duke stood staring at the window of the Captain Comics store that Nosedive used to frequent.

"He's gonna miss a whole bunch of issues," Duke murmured to Grin, who stood silent behind him.

"Maybe Thrash and Mookie will hold them from him."

"He's gonna come back," Duke added, as if trying to convince himself.

Grin chose to remain silent.

A second later, their com units alerted them to trouble. Wildwing's face appeared.

"Regroup at the Migrator," he said.

Duke and Grin took off running.

All six ducks met at the Migrator and boarded.

"Ah, um, it's that bank again! Anaheim Grand! It's being bur, uh, burgla, um, robbed!"

Canard looked at the screen. "And it shows Saurian activity. Let's go!"

Seconds later, the Migrator went racing towards the bank. X

Darkflame adjusted the teleportation settings on two droids.

"Take the money and go!" he shouted back to the others. In a green flash, Wraith, Siege, and Chameleon, and all but the two droids disappeared.

Darkflame sneered at the cowering humans. He bowed in front of them. "Do tell the press that there's a new baddie in town, and his name is Darkflame!" With that, the duck conjured up a ball of black fire and hurled it at one of the windows, breaking the glass and the burning a hole in the steel wall that covered it.

Darkflame leaped through the hole, the two remaining droids following. They all jumped into a white van that was waiting beside the building.

Richard and Jarrod glanced back.

"I'm not sure I understand this part of the plan, but I heard dispatch say that the nearest cars are a few blocks away," said Richard.

"Doesn't matter," replied Darkflame, pointing to a large white vehicle screeching to a stop. The front of it had a shape similar to that of a duck's face. "When I say now, you hit that accelerator."

"You got it," replied Richard, looking forward.

Darkflame grinned as he watched several of the Mighty Ducks dash out of the Migrator.

"Now." X

Canard jumped out of the Migrator, scanning the area and taking tin the view. Smoke was rising from an alley, the alarms were blaring, and people were streaming out of the bank, panicking.

Canard began running towards the bank, Wildwing right behind him. Weapons were drawn out, and the could hear the other ducks exiting the Migrator.

"Okay," he shouted. "Be on guard."

A sharp squealing sound caught their attention. Canard glanced to his right.

Wildwing and Canard jumped back as a large white van veered towards them.

"Look out!" warned Canard.

Wildwing and Canard's jaws dropped when they thousands of dollars fluttering out from the back of the van.

Within seconds, the group of panicked people forgot their fear and poured into the street, collecting the money.

The mob ended up blocking the road, allowing the van to make its get away.

"I don't believe this!" Canard shouted, watching the van speed away.

Duke snorted and stepped away. "Of all things, who would have though that the kid would be outwitting this group."

Canard glanced at Duke, but remained silent. X

"I feel vile," muttered Chameleon.

"Helping Darkflame makes me feel unclean," agreed Wraith.

They watched Dragaunus laugh, standing in front of a pile of money on a table. Darkflame stood beside him, beaming.

"This is unbelievable," Dragaunus said, with an evil chuckle. "Darkflame, my boy, you did good. And for once, they didn't foul it up." He gave a pointed stare in the direction of Chameleon, Wraith , and Siege. "Maybe they do need more supervision."

The three Saurians managed a charinged look, which immediately turned into a look of hatred when Dragaunus turned away.

"That duck has got to go," they all muttered. X

Wildwing stood at the entrance of his baby bro's room. He sighed. It was so empty and quiet, it made his heart ache. Wildwing hit the close button and slowly walked away.

Several feet away, a silent Duke stood watching.

In the next episode of the Mighty Ducks. . .

"I say we attack now!" roared Dragaunus, in anger.

Nightbloom spoke in her annoyingly calm and emotioness voice. "Then the ducks will still defeat you. . ."

"Not with Darkflame!"

* * *

Duke threw his helmet at the locker room doors. "If you had been nicer to the kid, he wouldn't have been so vulnerable  
to that lizard's spells, or whatever it is he used on Dive!"

Mallory stepped up. "Canard wasn't being mean, he was being a leader!"

"Not a good one," Duke shot back.

* * *

Wraith looked at the other two Saurians. "Next time, we make sure Darkflame fails."


	12. Divided They Fall

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Discontentment among the ranks, much to the enjoyment of Dragaunus and Darkflame.

Divided They Fall

Tanya was fiddling around with some equipment as Duke paced around in her lab.

"I mean, I'm glad for Wing that we found Canard and all, but hey, things were better before, you know?"

Tanya glanced up from her work. "Um, well, yeah, I guess," she responded, stumbling over the words.

Duke continued to speak. "What I'm saying is the kid wasn't so bad to have around. He wasn't that much trouble. But then Canard shows up and starts acting like some military officer. . ."

"But, but he is!" stammered Tanya.

"Point being, there was a big change, a change we may not have wanted. And he begins treating the kid like dirt! Granted the kid may have needed some discipline, but I think Canard pushed too far!"

"Whoa, like keep it down!" warned Tanya, as Duke's voice rose higher.

"Sorry," muttered Duke. "But what really gets to me is Wildwing. I mean, how can he be so blind as to see that the only reason those lizards got hold of Nosedive was because Canard broke his spirit!" Duke shook his head. "Wildwing was a good leader. Canard didn't have to take over his place. He made Wildwing team captain. Him being in charge again shouldn't have been his choice alone. It should have also been Wildwing's and it should have been ours."

Tanya remained silent, even though she silently agreed with Duke's every word. X

Darkflame conjured up a small ball of fire and tossed it up. He watched it, caught it when it came down, and tossed it up again.

He spared a quick glance at Dragaunus who was pacing in the room.

"I say we attack now!" he roared in anger.

Nightbloom spoke in her annoyingly calm and emotionless voice. "Then the ducks will still defeat you. . ."

"Not when I have Darkflame by my side."

Darkflame smiled to himself, catching the fireball again.

"Even with Darkflame you will fail," continued Nightbloom.

Darkflame rolled his eyes. "What does she know," he muttered to himself. He pretended to ignore them as he continued playing with his fireball.

"What?!" roared Dragaunus. "Darkflame has proved himself as a valuable asset. I have complete faith that he will bring the ducks down."

Nightbloom turned away. "As you wish, then. I am here not to be involved, but to advise. The ducks are still strong. Until each one is in complete disagreement with the other, there will always be a possibility that they will defeat you." With those words, Nightbloom disappeared.

Darkflame approached Dragaunus. "For once, she may be right, Daddy-o," he said. "The more divided they are, then the easier it'll be to make them fall and stomp them out of existence."

Dragaunus chuckled. "Any ideas how we can speed up their breakup?"

Darkflame remained silent for a moment, hand over beak as he thought to himself. Then he grinned. "Maybe," he said, before disappearing.

"Good," commented Dragaunus, with a vicious grin. X

Mallory focused on her target, then fired. She missed.

Mallory growled and mentally berated herself. It seemed that the harder she tried to perfect her aim, the worse it got.

Maybe it was the stress.

Truth be told, Canard was right about perfection needed. She sighed. Canard was more of a military leader than Wildwing. So she was use to his strict leadership. But it seemed that the others had a bit of trouble adjusting to it.

And Duke was being infuriating. He always had a bit of an attitude towards authority figures with the exception of Wildwing. And after Nosedive's disappearance, it got worse.

Seemed like he was blaming Canard for what the Saurians did.

But she had to disagree. Nosedive wasn't exactly trained to handle combat. He just went with the flow, so to speak. And now he was a POW, which he had no real experience in, unless one counted the work camps. If only Nosedive had cooperated a bit more with Canard. X

"Reduced to a handyman," muttered Chameleon as he slid under one of the main computer's panels. He opened it up and began tinkering with the wires.

"There's a leak in the ceiling, the comm units aren't working right, the cooling system is down, there's a glitch on the computer. All that's left is. . ."

"Chameleon!" Dragaunus's voice came through his comm unit, all static-like. "The kitchen sink is clogged! And didn't I tell you to fix the comm units?!"

Chameleon ground his teeth as Dragaunus's face disappeared.

Darkflame walked by and spotted Chameleon's legs. With a smirk, he approached the system and glanced around. Seeing no one, he flipped a switch from off to on.

"Yeow!" shouted Chameleon, shooting out from underneath the panels. He landed hard against the wall on the other side of the room.

Darkflame clucked his tongue. "You really should turn the power off when working with electronic equipment." He smirked and then left.

Chameleon stood up and coughed. "Ooo, that smart," he muttered, like Curly. Then he glared at the door in which Darkflame had left. "Someday, duckie. . ." he muttered. X

Wildwing stared at the monitor of Drake 1. He barely heard the footsteps coming up from behind. A hand landed on his shoulder. "Nothing has shown up on the screen," he muttered.

Canard sighed. "We'll find him, Wildwing. And we'll do whatever we can to make him his old self."

Wildwing gave a mournful sigh. "How can we find him if nothing is even registering on Drake 1? It's like they've disappeared!

Canard closed his eyes, not knowing hat to say. He gave Wildwing a few moments to compose himself.

Canard cleared his throat. "Gear up for practice. See you in thirty minutes."

Wildwing nodded slightly, then went back to studying the screen. X

"And tonight, Anaheim's Mighty Ducks versus the Los Angeles Crowns. . ."

Lord Dragaunus paused at the announcement. He stepped back and was a bit suspicious to see Darkflame watching a hockey pre-game show.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked.

Darkflame glanced back and grinned at Dragaunus. "Yo, Dad. Just a bit curious to see how broken the ducks are right now. Being that I left a little gift for Wildwing and all."

One side of Dragaunus's mouth curled up. "Oh, really? And what was it?"

Darkflame gleefully smiled. "Something that will throw him in a loop enough to lose focus in the game." X

"Okay, Ducks," said Canard, as he stood inside the locker room. "Let's go."

Sounds of metal doors slamming shut sounded throughout the room, except for one.

Wildwing glanced at the locker that had Nosedive's name engraved on it. His hand touched the door gently.

The door clicked shut, catching the attention of all the ducks. Wildwing shot a glance at Duke.

"His door was locked up," Duke said.

Wildwing yanked the door open, and looked inside. A large red envelope laid inside, reading;

TO WILDWING

FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE

With shaking hands, Wildwing opened the envelope. Wildwing bit back a gasp as he pulled out a blown up photo.

It was an old family portrait, one that had his parents standing side by side, and Nosedive and himself were up front.

One could see the amount of love and trust the young duckling had in his older brother by the way he was looking at him. Wildwing, his feathers still a cream color, was looking down at Nosedive, eyes filled with pride.

None of the ducks said anything. They just stared, watching closely.

Wildwing's eyes were misty with unshed tears as he dropped the envelope and fingered the photo.

"He was eight," he said, hoarsely.

The doors to the locker room burst open.

"C'mon guys!" shouted Phil. "The game's about to start!" He ducked back out of the room.

Wildwing placed the photo gently on the bench.

The Mighty Ducks team the filed out of the room, silent. X

"And the Crowns score! One second to the end of second period."

"Yes!" crowed Darkflame. "Go Crowns!"

Sitting next to him, Dragaunus laughed. "Four to three, close game."

"You just watch, Dad. The Crowns are gonna end up further than that."

At that moment, Phil's face appeared on the screen.

"I wonder what the fat dude has to say," Darkflame mused.

"Mr. Palmfeather," started some off screen interviewer. "It's pretty clear that the Ducks aren't doing so well in this game. I mean, four to three! Wildwing seems to have no focus in the game. Obviously it has to do with his brother. Is it wise to let him play in the game?"

Phil sighed. "He really doesn't have a choice. If he doesn't play, then the team will have to forfeit."

"That's another question we have. Why haven't you drafted more players into the team? If it weren't for Canard, you all would be down to five."

"I guess that has to with the fact that the Ducks are a close-knit family, looking after each other. They never expected to lose one of their own."

"What is being done to find Nosedive? Do you believe he is still alive?"

Phil shifted uncomfortably. "The ducks believe that he is. And right now the police are doing everything they can to find him. And we are also offering. . ." Phil paused, a pained expression on his face. "A one million dollar reward for anyone who succeeds in locating Nosedive." Phil's face then softened. "His big brother misses him, and wants him back here, where he belongs."

"How disgustingly sweet," sneered Dragaunus.

"Yeah," agreed Darkflame, looking a tad bit troubled. X

"And the Ducks score!" shouted the announcer. "Seven minutes left and the game is tied, four four. A time out is called."

Canard looked at the Ducks in front of him. "Good shot, Grin," he huffed. "We're slacking, though. Grin, I'm putting you and Tanya back in defense. No more goals from the Crowns, okay?" He turned to Mallory and Duke. "You'll be forwards and I'll be center. Left and right, got it?"

"Yeah, got it," muttered Duke.

A few moments later the Ducks were back on the ice. X

Darkflame laughed. "Doesn't look like the team cap and Dukemiester are getting' along!" The dark haired duck watched as Duke continued to hog the puck, passing it only to Mallory even when Canard was completely open for a pass.

"Eight seconds left in the game!" the announcer said," and the score is still tied. And oh! Unbelievable! Looks as if Duke checked his own team captain, three, two, and score! The game is won, one second left and the score is Ducks five, Crowns four."

Dragaunus looked over at Darkflame as the last second finished.

"They still won."

Darkflame looked over. "Yeah, but with that move that Duke made, me thinks our plan is working out." He grinned.

Dragaunus allowed himself a grin as well, and the two burst out laughing. X

What the heck was that?!" Canard burst out, as soon as all the ducks were in the locker room.

"I knew if I had the puck I'd be able to make the shot," Duke responded, daringly.

"So you checked me and stole the blasted puck away from me?!" Canard asked, incredulously.

Mallory grunted. "Back to his old tricks, it seems."

Duke shot her a dirty look.

"You've been completely out of line ever since. . ."

"Ever since you drove Nosedive out of here!"

"I did not drive Dive out!"

Duke yanked his helmet off and threw it at the lockers. "If you had been nicer to the kid, he wouldn't have been so vulnerable to whatever those lizards did to him!"

Mallory stepped up. "Canard wasn't being mean, he was being a leader!" she snarled.

"Not a good one," Duke shot back.

"Guys!" cried Tanya.

"Enough!" shouted Wildwing.

"Well it's true!" continued Duke.

"No it isn't!" argued Mallory.

Everyone looked at Grin.

"To him his own battle," he said, non-commitingly.

"Fine," snapped Mallory. "Don't chose sides."

"I am so out of here," Duke growled. Tanya followed after him.

Mallory threw up her hands in the air. "Argh, I don't believe this!" she said, leaving the room.

Grin left as well, remaining silent.

Canard and Wildwing looked at each other, both looking upset. X

Canard sighed in frustration. "This whole situation can go to the stars!" he cursed.

Wildwing sat beside him, silent, the family portrait at his side.

"How are you holding up?" Canard asked, softly.

"I could be better," murmured Wing.

Canard shook his head. "I know what you're thinking, Wing, and you're wrong. None of the saw this coming, so don't go thinking that you could have prevented his, cause you couldn't have."

"I know," responded Wildwing. "But I still can't help but think. . ." He sighed. He picked up the photo."Dive was always beside me, and I was always there for him."

Canard patted Wildwing's shoulder. "Don't worry, Wing. We'll find him, and he'll be back at your side in no time."

Glancing at each other, they missed seeing a quick glowing flash emit from the photo. X

"As if!" snorted Darkflame, the small vision of Canard and Wildwing disappearing in a flash.

"I'd sooner eat a toad!" he laughed to himself.

"The time is not right," he heard Nightbloom say.

"Not again," Darkflame muttered, making his way over to them. "Can't they like, give it a rest?"

"All we've been doing is just sitting here and waiting!"

Nightbloom almost smirked. "You have been sitting here and waiting. Darkflame and your help have been out stealing and buying supplies."

Dragaunus growled." That's not the point."

Darkflame stepped up to Dragaunus' side.

Nightbloom barely acknowledged him with a nod.

"You keep asking me for my opinions and advice, yet you challenge each and every one of them. I am here to aid you, not to do your work, so in the end, you are choosing which plans to follow.

"Strike now and you may fail. They are still in pairs, and only one of those pairing must be separated in order to bring down the rest."

"Wildwing and Canard," interjected Darkflame, coming to the conclusion.

Nightbloom nodded once.

"Fine," snapped Dragaunus. "We'll try to find a way to break them up." X

Each duck had their own inner conflicts as to what was said and what they heard. Duke, wanting to get away from Canard as far as possible, had opted to walk in a park. Tanya followed him.

They remained silent as the walked side by side, each lost in their own thoughts.

Duke was still angry at Canard, and blamed his for the events that had led up to Nosedive's disappearance.

He was also finding himself growing angry at Wildwing.

Tanya, in the meantime, found herself agreeing with almost everything Duke had said. But she wasn't too sure if she felt the same thing about Wildwing. Wildwing was only trusting an old friend. From what she gathered, they were close. She really couldn't fault him in believing in his friend.

She kept this thought to herself, not wanting Duke to think that she was defending Wildwing. She wasn't, really, but she felt that she was being more rational. Maybe, when Duke had calmed down, she would approach the subject.

Back at the Pond, Mallory was at the firing range, shooting her puck launcher without much focus. She wasn't even checking to see if she hit the targets or not.

All she could think about was how wrong Duke was to say the things he said back at the locker room.

Canard wasn't at fault, Nosedive was! She continued to fire her puck launcher, and then realized that it must have emptied out a while ago.

Grin had chosen to remain in his room. He sat in the middle in lotus blossom position, thinking. He didn't want to admit to confusion, much less chose sides. Although, he did blame himself to a certain degree. Actually, everyone was to blame. Nosedive had needed them for support and guidance, something which they all failed to give enough of. All the warning signs were there, but no one knew how to respond to them, or chose to ignore them.

And that was what made Grin feel the most guilt. He had chosen to sit and wait it out, ignoring him, believing that Canard knew what he was doing.

Grin sighed. Guilt bites. X

Chameleon rolled his eyes as he watched Darkflame pacing. Dragaunus and Nightbloom were having another disagreement. One could almost call it an argument, except that Nightbloom's voice remained calm and rational.

Darkflame interrupted them, spouting off another idea..

"I feel so forgotten," said Siege, startling Chameleon.

The short Saurian looked up and saw that both Siege and Wraith had joined him.

Wraith looked down at the others. "Whatever plan Darkflame goes with next time, we make sure he fails."

**In the next episode of The Mighty Duck:**

Darkflame stealthily moved into one of the rooms aboard the Raptor. He glanced back one more time to make sure that he wasn't followed.

He let out a chuckle and continued further into the room, where the moronic three, as he had secretly dubbed them, were waiting.

"I'm glad you three made it," he drawled, noting with glee how the corners of their eyes twitched. He was glad they hated him. The feeling was mutual.

Wraith let out a snort of disgust when they left the room. "Finally, a chance to foil Darkflame's plans."

"About time," said Chameleon...

Canard sighed as he looked at Wildwing's door. "The bond between him and Nosedive is a strong one. Without each other, they are incomplete. Why don't we all go into the dining room? I'll tell you more there."

The other ducks followed him, throwing one final glance at Wildwing's door.


	13. Father's Day

Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks is the property of Disney. Nightbloom and any non canon characters appearing in these series belong to me. This work of fiction is solely for the use of free entertainment as no money is being made off of this.

Summary: Darkflame decides to steal the perfect gift for dear old dad, and Canard reveals the secret the the unique bond Wildwing and Nosedive shared.

Father's Day

Darkflame stealthily moved into one of the rooms aboard the Raptor. He glanced back one more time to make sure that he wasn't followed.

He let out a chuckle and continued further into the room, where the moronic three, as he had secretly dubbed them, were waiting.

"I'm glad you three made it," he drawled, noting with glee how the corners of their eyes twitched. He was glad they hated him. The feeling was mutual. But so far they worked well as a team, when they did things right, and only because they were all out to please Lord Dragaunus. After all, being a favorite does have a certain  
appeal.

"You goons may not know, but this time of the year, the Americans have a little holiday known as Father's Day. A day when children show their appreciation towards their father."

Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith just glanced at each other, carefully holding back their disgust as the black haired duck went on about the human holiday.

"So," continued Darkflame. "I figure we just celebrate Father' Day by giving Daddy-o one cool present. Namely. . ." Darkflame paused, allowing a smile to cross his beak. "A crystal energy source with a structure similar to the Bullerian crystals.

He gave the three Saurians a glare. "However, I need your word that you will tell no one of these plans. Not Nightbloom and especially Dad. Er, Lord Dragaunus to you."

"Of course, Darkflame," drawled Wraith, jabbing Chameleon with his elbow.

"What? Huh? Oh! Yes, of course?" He looked at Siege who only grunted in reply.

"Good," said Darkflame. "Cause if I hear that word got out. . ." Darkflame snapped his fingers, producing his signature black flame. "I'll turn you into cinders."

The flames disappeared and Darkflame flashed another smile. "Now that the warning is done... The lab we'll be targeting is none other than our favorite, Lisa's Labs. They have been working on that crystalized energy source for a while now, and I recently heard that it has been completed. We're going to break in and steal the project. Well, assuming you do it right this time."

Siege clenched his fists but remained silent.

They were all momentarily startled by the sound of the door opening.

Dragaunus stepped into view. He looked around suspiciously. "What is going on?" he asked.

Darkflame practically bounded towards Dragaunus. "Hey, Daddy-o! Any new devious plans we can use against the Mighty Ducks?" he asked as he led the Saurian overlord away. "Or something fun! Like cleaning out a bank."

Wraith let out a snort of disgust when they left the room. "Finally, a chance to foil Darkflame's plans."

"About time," said Chameleon.. X

The television in the rec room flickered as the channels were being changed at a rapid pace.

"I'm ruined!" Phil wailed as he kept pressing the channels on the remote control. Duke looked away from his newspaper and rested his sight on the distraught man.

"I'll be the first manager in history to permanantly misplace a team player, and a non-human one at that! If I hear another reporter ask 'How does one lose a humanoid duck among humans?' one more time, I'll...I'll..." Phil made wringing motions with his hand.

Duke raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Phil sighed. "I'll be needing a good lawyer, that's for sure."

Duke let out a snort and then shook his head as Phil continued babbling.

"Wait, I could represent myself! And I wouldn't have to pay for a good lawyer!"

Duke went back to reading the newspaper in his hand. X

The display on Drake 1's screen was split into eight different sections. Each one kept changing view every few seconds. In front of the screen stood Mallory and Tanya.

Mallory let out an audible sigh as she continued to watch the screens. Every security camera was catching at least four reporters, camping out by their news vans or in the bushes, waiting to ambush whoever came through.

She looked at Tanya through the corner of her eye. She held back another sigh.

Tanya was still ignoring her. Seemed that she agreed with Duke.

Mallory looked back at the screens, feeling a bit peeved and disappointed. She had been sure that Tanya wouldn't have agreed with Duke's accusations. After all, Tanya was the rational one. But not this time.

She watched as some bored reporter lay down and fell asleep. Another one was itching for some action and seemed to jump at every sound he heard.

Humans could be such animals. X

Wildwing sat in his room, lost in his own thoughts. Everything had gone downhill so fast, and so unexpectedly. He had thought that by having Canard back on the team, they would have defeated Dragaunus in a quicker and more effective manner, resulting in the chance to go back home.

But now, things were worse than when they had first started.

Wildwing felt another sharp pain in his heart. He felt so alone and incomplete. He wondered what had happened to Nosedive. Was he lost to them completely? Or was he still somewhere in there?

Wildwing let out another cry as he punched the wall next to him. He couldn't help but think that the situation was mostly his fault. He hadn't trained Nosedive as well as he wanted to, something which Canard first noticed and attempted to rectify.

He couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason why his mind was so easily corrupted and controlled by Dragaunus.

Nosedive didn't deserve to be out there, being controlled and leading a completely new life. Nosedive needed to back home, among the Mighty Ducks, wreaking havoc, creating chaos, joking, and living with that carefree attitude that drove them nuts from time to time.

Weekends were so quiet, as the television was never turned on for those Saturday morning cartoons or movies that the local channels would play. Lately, the only thing he ever heard was the sounds of news updates on current events and about past and upcoming games.

Games that were barely won.

He was losing his touch.

He was losing his worth to the team. If this kept up, Canard was going to have to find a replacement, or forfeit future games to the opposing teams.

Come to think of it, he was a bit surprised that Phil wasn't looking for a replacement yet. After all, he did so immediately after Wildwing had given up his position as team captain when they were first starting out.

Wildwing sighed and dropped himself onto his bed. Maybe another nap would do him good. X

Canard stood outside Wildwing's room, ready to knock on the door, then stopped himself.

Seemed that every lull they met in the day, Wildwing went to sleep. One noticeable sign of depression. Unfortunately, Canard had no idea as to how to battle it.

And it seemed like none of the others wanted to talk.. Grin was off meditating stars knows where, Tanya and Duke were blatantly ignoring him, and Mallory just kept ranting and raving about how unfair Duke was on his accusations. That didn't make things better for him, so he tried his best to stay away from Mallory.

"What in Puckworld am I suppose to do?" he asked out loud, looking upwards. X

"Here are the plans," Darkflame said, handing the three Saurians before him several folders.

"You are to study these and memorize them. They are the schedules of every scientist and security guard, layouts to the building, including every hall, and ventilation shafts, locations of security camera's and alarms, and access codes to the security overrides and computer files."

Darkflame glared at them. "There are no room for mistakes on this little mission of mine, dudes, so you better not mess up. Once we get the location of the crystals and steal them, Dad...I mean, Lord Dragaunus can use the energy source and destroy those ducks once and for all."

Wraith nodded. "As you wish," he said.

Darkflame gave an evil grin. "We'll begin tomorrow night. The end of the ducks are near. Catch you later." With that, the dark haired duck left the room.

Chameleon shook his head. "Tough call," he snorted. "Help Darkflame get rid of the Ducks and be stuck with him, or get rid of Darkflame and be stuck with the Ducks who'll surely try to get some form of revenge."

Siege just grunted.

Wraith flicked an imaginary particle of dust off of his robes. "Not unless we manage to steal the crystals first and lose Darkflame in the process."

Siege and Chameleon grinned maliciously, the latter morphing into the Grinch. X

Tanya stared at the door leading to Wildwing's room. Grin stood came up behind her, and paused.

"He's been there all day," she said. "Uh, who would have thought that this would have hit him so hard?"

"Not hard enough if he's locking himself up instead of looking for the kid," Duke muttered, approaching the growing group.

He stiffened as he saw Canard heading their way, followed by Mallory.

Canard frowned, having overheard Duke. Mallory glared from behind.

"It's not that he doesn't care, Duke. It's much more than that. Wildwing and Nosedive share a bond that only parents and their hatchlings are suppose to have."

"Come again?" asked Duke, momentarily caught off guard.

Canard sighed as he looked at Wildwing's door. "The bond between him and Nosedive is a strong one. Without each other, they are incomplete. Why don't we all go into the dining room? I'll tell you more there."

The other ducks followed him, throwing one final glance at Wildwing's door. X

Canard sat at the head of the table, fingering his cup of water. He looked up at the others, and saw them sitting silently, waiting. He took a deep breath, and began his tale.

_A young drake with tan and yellow feathers stood in front of a two story house. "'Hey, Wildwing!" he shouted. The front door burst open and a yellow tinged duck came bursting through the front door._

_"I'm coming!" shouted a very young Wildwing. He raced up to the tan duck and they both headed towards the public ice rink, each of them carrying a backpack and ice skates._

_"You'll never believe this, Canard," rambled Wildwing. "I'm going to be a big bro! Mom's gonna have another hatchling!"_

_Canard made a face. "A baby? I feel sorry for you."_

_"Why do you say that?" asked Wildwing, confused. _

_"Cause then you'll have to compete for your parent's attention, that's why. Suddenly everything you do isn't as good as what your kid brother will do. Or vice versa. Then your kid brother will hate you and make your life miserable."_

_"It's not going to be like that," said Wildwing, a bit more subdued then when he had given the news._

_Canard gave him a look. "You don't know that."_

_Wildwing shook his head. "My parents aren't like that. They want me involved. I get to chose colors for the baby's room tomorrow. I want teal and white. I think it's cool for a boy or a girl."_

_Canard shook his head. "You have no idea what you are asking for.. A baby sis or bro ain't nothing but trouble."_

_Wildwing remained silent, giving his friend a look. "Your dad shouldn't force you to compete with your brother," he said softly._

_Canard turned away. "He doesn't make me. I do it on my own," he lied. "If I did everything he told me to, I wouldn't be here with you, now would I?" Canard turned back and smirked._

_Wildwing rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered. "C'mon, let's go skate!"_

_Several weeks later, Canard found himself sitting on the front steps of Wildwing's home eating flavored ice shaving. "My brother started to lose some of his baby feathers already." He snickered. "He keeps staring at the mirror and moping about being unable to find a girl who wants to go out with someone  
who's molting."_

_Wildwing laughed. "Well, you're going to go through the same thing. You have the same coloring!"_

_Canard shook a finger. "I already look like I'm in the middle of second molt." He grinned, looking proud. "Dad says I was lucky, because others wouldn't tell the difference during the molt. And then in my final molt, I'll be all tan, like my Dad."_

_Wildwing raised an eyebrow, semi-amused. "Just like your Dad?" Then he frowned. "What am I going to look like?" he cried out, in shock._

_Canard laughed. "Pray that you molt during the snow season. Maybe people will think you have snowflakes on you!"_

_Wildwing growled, then perked up as a transport vehicle pulled up in front of the house. "Cool, my Dad's home."_

_"Hey, Wildwing," said a tall white duck. His shoulder's were broad, a similar build to the future Wildwing. He even had a similar head feathers' style. The only difference was that his beak was a grey color. "Ready to go?"_

_Wildwing nodded, and turned to Canard. "I gotta go. We're picking out a nest for my little sib's egg, and we're going to find a crib for later on."_

_Canard looked sullen. "I still don't see why you're so excited over a baby," he grumbled._

_Wildwing just flashed him a grin._

_A couple months later, Wildwing invited Canard over to his house and took him into a room with white walls and adorned with baby decorations. The tops of the walls had a teal border around it. In the center was a nest, a heat lamp shining on it._

_Wildwing pulled Canard closer to it. "There he is. That's going to be my baby brother."_

_"How do you know it's not going to be a girl?" _

_Wildwing shrugged. "I just do. Mom says it's going to be a few more months before he hatches. She's been so busy catching up with work that she told me to take care of the egg whenever she's not around."_

_Canard snorted. "Baby-sit an egg? How utterly boring."_

_A look of hurt flashed in Wildwing's eyes._

_"Sorry," Canard muttered, looking guilty._

_"That's okay," said Wildwing._

_A few_ _months later, Canard was playing street hockey by himself. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "Where are you, Wildwing," he muttered. "You said you were going to be here."_

_A few moments later he was rewarded with the sight of Wildwing heading his way. He frowned as he noticed how big his backpack looked, and by the look on WIldwing's face, it was also heavy._

_"Sorry I was so late," Wildwing panted. "Mom had to go on an emergency meeting and told me to watch over the egg. I tried calling you but you already left."_

_Canard nodded. "So you had to wait for your folks, huh?"_

_WIldwing blushed. "Uh, I tried calling them but couldn't get a hold of either one." His voice held a nervous tone to it._

_Canard gave Wildwing a funny look. "But what about the . . ." His eyes widened slightly as he took his eyes off of Wildwing and to the bulging backpack the yellow duck was wearing. "Oh, no. Tell me you didn't. . ."_

_"I wasn't going to leave it alone," Wildwing said defensively, setting the backpack down on the top of a nearby garbage can and opened the bag. "And I couldn't just not show up without letting you know why I wasn't coming."_

_Canard moved around Wildwing and the backpack nervously. "Oh, Wing, your parents are going to freak when they see the egg is missing! " His hands were on his head, looking as if he were ready to tear the feathers out. He became even more nervous when Wildwing let out a gasp. "What? What is it?"_

_"I think I broke it!" came a frightened voice._

_Canard leaned forward and spotted the crack near the top of the egg. "Oh, hockey sticks, you are so dead. You parents are going to freak and kill you on the spot!" Then he gasped. "They'll probably tell my dad and he'll come and kill me on the spot! We are so dead."_

_Wildwing stared at the crack, hoping that the chick inside wasn't injured. The the crack grew and his heart felt a tremendous surge of relief and elation. "Canard, it's not broken!" he cried out._

_"It's not?"_

_"It's hatching!"_

_"What?!" Canard stared in shock. "Wing, we have to get that egg back to your parents! Everyone knows that either the Mom or Dad or both have to be there when the egg hatches," he began to babble hysterically, watching the egg continue to crack._

_"Well, why don't you tell it to wait!" shouted Wildwing, nervous and excited at the same time._

_"Please stop hatching!" pleaded Canard._

_Wildwing stood in awe as bits of the egg shell began falling away. His amazement gave way to fright as the chick inside teetered over and fell from the top of the garbage can. Canard let out a cry as Wildwing dove forward and caught his baby sibling. _

_Wildwing glanced up and looked into the chick's eyes. Wide eyes stared back, and the hatchling let out a small newborn peep and yawned._

_Wildwing struggled to stand up with the infant in his arms._

_Canard let out a sigh of relief. "Whew, nice nose dive, Wing."_

_Wildwing grinned. "Yeah, nose dive. His name will be Nosedive."_

_Two nights later, Canard sat at his window, flashlight in hand. He winced as he shifted, and rubbed his sore end. When he got spanked, he got spanked good. He flashed out a sequence and waited. A few moments later, a series of flashes came from Wildwing's home._

_Canard grinned. 'Five months, how about you?' he flashed out to his friend._

_'One month and lifetime of babysitting,' came the response._

_Canard grimaced. 'Bummer,' he responded._

_'Not bad,' Wildwing responded. 'Nosedive is pretty cool. He sleeps in my room.'_

_Canard shook his head, partially in amusement. Wildwing was not in for easy times. _X

Canard sipped his water. "It's been said that hatchlings bond with the parent when they first hatch, because they are the first ducks they see. In Wildwing's case, Nosedive bonded with him instead. Ever since that moment when they stared into each others' eyes, they were joined at the hip. Only times Wildwing left his brother's side was for school. Nosedive would cry for hours until Wildwing returned. Needless to say, Wildwing's grades went down cause he was too busy worrying about the kid. So Wildwing was home schooled until Nosedive grew old enough to realize that his brother was just going to school and would be back."

Canard let out a snort. "I shouldn't have been too surprised when Wildwing refused to help out the team without his brother. And I shouldn't have been surprised that Nosedive insisted on going. Those two will be joined in that bond until one of them start their own family. "

Canard looked up at the other ducks. "That's what I mean by Wildwing being incomplete. He's missing the part that had bonded with the kid. Without it, he's lost."

Duke stood up, looking sad and then furious. "Well," he muttered. "You better hope for your sake that their bond is strong enough to bring Nosedive back."

Canard let out a weary sigh as the sounds of chairs scraping the floor echoed in the room. A few moments later, he was left alone with his own thoughts. X

Lord Dragaunus paced in front of his monitor, clenching and unclenching his claws.

"What is it now?" Nightbloom asked in a bored tone, while examining her saber.

"It's Darkflame. I think he's plotting against me!"

"Why do you say that?"

"He's been sneaking around, ignoring my questions, and I've caught him speaking to those three imbeciles."

Nightbloom let out an uninterested "hmm."

"I need to know what he's up to."

"He's dedicated to you, Sir Dragaunus. I made sure of that. Everything he does is to please you. There is only one sure way to return him to his normal state, and one other possible way. Neither of which has happened."

"How do you know?" demanded Dragaunus.

Nightbloom looked up at him, unmoved. "Because I do."

Dragaunus grinded his teeth, holding back whatever retort was ready to come out. He slowly let out his breath and resumed pacing. X

Darkflame stared at the unconscious security guard he had knocked down. He typed in a series of numbers, and the entrance doors to the lab opened. Siege, Wraith, and Chameleon stepped in.

"I still don't see why we didn't just transport in here," grumbled Chameleon.

Darkflame growled. "Because that would have alerted the Ducks to our current position. Not to mention Dragaunus. And since we're surprising darling Dad, he doesn't need to find out about this!"

Darkflame went to the doors that led further into the lab. He stopped on one side and pressed a few buttons on a panel. He glanced at Chameleon who punched in another sequence of numbers on the panel adjacent to his.

"On three," said Darkflame, finger poised over a large green button. Chameleon did the same.

Siege placed his claws on the door and looked towards Darkflame.

"One...two...three!" Chameleon and Darkflame pressed their buttons at the same time. An audible click was heard and Siege pushed the doors open. Wraith, Chameleon, and Darkflame went in, followed by Siege.

Darkflame looked around and headed straight to the computers. Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith separated and went to several storage units and began to look through each one.

"Just what are these crystals suppose to look like," Chameleon asked, punching in a code and opening yet another unit.

"Topaz blue with red streaks," replied Darkflame, bringing up file after file on the computer. He banged his fist next to it. "Oh, Lizard tails!" he exclaimed. "The formed crystals aren't here, however..." He typed in a few more things and the printer next to the computer began printing several sheets of paper.

"The components to make the crystal are here, and so is the formula. Okay, change of plans. Look for these elements." Darkflame handed each Saurian a list, which they took without complaint.

As Chameleon opened yet another storage unit, he glanced up and noticed an alarm button. A tiny smirk formed on his lips. X

Grin was doing some mindless exercise when the sharp sounds of Drake 1's alarms rang throughout The Pond.

He dropped the weights in his hands and rushed to the central room where all the other ducks were regrouping.

Wildwing was among them, a hopeful look on his face. "Is it...?" he started to ask.

Tanya nodded. "Lisa's Labs. And, uh, only Dragaunus has been robbing that place."

"All right, Ducks, let's roll," said Canard.

A few moments later, the Aerowing blasted out from underground, and streaked across the sky. X

Chameleon looked up in mock innocence as Darkflame whirled around.

"Who set off the alarm?!" Darkflame shouted, his face contorted in rage.

Siege and Wraith glanced at each other, then at Chameleon.

"Wasn't me," they all said together.

Darkflame growled and rushed to the security panels and typed in several key commands. The alarms stopped blaring. He motioned Chameleon over.

"Is anything wrong?" someone's voice came over the intercom beside the panel.

"No, sir, just a false alarm," replied Chameleon, his face morphing into that of the security officer.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes for routine check-up."

"We'll be waiting."

Darkflame smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Uh, we?" came the voice.

"Uh, yeah. Me and the donuts!" Chameleon said hurriedly.

"Rrriiiiggghhht. Uh, any cream filled?"

"Boston creme."

"We'll be there. Over."

Chameleon let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Dude, remind me to hurt you later," Darkflame snarled as he rushed back to the computer. "Gather everything up. We are so out of here in five minutes, max."

Siege and Wraith began gathering the ingredients they had found. Chameleon rushed to his pile and began scooping them up as well, but not before shooting the other two a thumbs up.

Siege and Wraith smirked.

Darkflame injected a disk into the computer and began to transfer and copy files. As soon as it was done, he ejected it and turned around. "All right, lame-o's," he said. "Let's blow this joint."

At that moment, the doors to the lab burst open.

"Not so fast," said Canard, mask in place.

"Well, well," said Darkflame mockingly. "Looks as if we've been caught! Blast them!"

Siege and Chameleon pulled out their lasers and began firing at the ducks. Wraith and Darkflame threw out fireballs.

Canard, Wildwing, and Mallory jumped one way. Duke, Tanya, and Grin jumped in the opposite direction.

They began firing their puck launchers at once.

Darkflame dove behind a desk as Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege dove behind several metal containers. They continued firing their weapons in return.

Darkflame glanced in the direction of the Saurians and mentally checked his list of what was needed. Only one more ingredient was needed; which was located in storage tank AM42X. He grinned.

The tank was next to their pile of ingredients.

"Chameleon, that tank!" he shouted, tossing a small device towards the Saurian.

Chameleon caught it and attached it to the tank. "Cover me," he told Siege, picking up the tank and rushing it to the pile next to them. He hit a button and the pile vanished from sight.

"Retreat!" shouted Darkflame, pulling out his teleporter. "Ow!" he hissed as a puck ricocheted off a tank and knocked the device out of his hand.

The other three Saurians snickered as they each began to disappear, first Wraith, then Siege.

Darkflame shot out into the open and lunged towards Chameleon, snatching the teleporter out of his hand and knocking him to the ground. He pressed the button and vanished, leaving Chameleon behind.

"If you weren't so tough I'd kill you!" shouted Chameleon, just as Siege reappeared and grabbed the smaller Saurian by the back of the neck.

Wildwing and Canard lunged towards the two Saurians.

They disappeared in a green flash, and Wildwing and Canard landed on the floor.

"No!" cried Wildwing. "We almost had them!"

Canard pushed himself up and mentally cursed himself. "Any idea as to why they would be here Tanya?" he asked.

Tanya shook her head. "There are lots of projects going on and, um, well, I would need a list of what's missing in order to guess what project they stole."

"I say we better go before the boys in blue show up," said Duke, motioning to the exit behind him.

Canard narrowed his eyes. "Let's go talk with Captain Klegghorn," he said. "And whoever is in charge of this particular lab." X

Lord Dragaunus stared at Darkflame, ignoring the sullen Saurians behind him.

Darkflame flashed a grin as he held out a box wrapped up in blue wrapping paper. "Happy Father's day, Daddy-o," he said.

Dragaunus took the box, looking at it suspiciously. He slowly opened it up and looked inside, confusion showing up on his face. "What is it?" he asked.

Darkflame smirked. "Read the note."

Dragaunus looked at the paper attached to the gift. He frowned, recognizing the lettering on it as some type of formula. Paying close attention to the detail, his lips curved upward.

Darkflame grinned again. "And there will be plenty more where that came from."

"Well done," Dragaunus exclaimed. "Why don't we try this crystal out and see how well it does?" X

Tanya looked away from her computer monitor, her face looking ill.

"What is it?" asked Wildwing.

"The files and ingredients stolen..." she said slowly, in shock. " They make a crystal with the exact same structure as the Bullerian crystals." X

Dragaunus laughed at the controls of the Raptor. "It flew!" he shouted.

Siege, Chameleon, and Wraith glanced at each other, a look of disappointment on their faces. Darkflame was looking proud of himself as Dragaunus wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Nightbloom stood at a distance, her face registering no emotion.

Dragaunus praised Darkflame and looked at the monitor, an evil grin on his face.

"We'll build more crystals and completely power up this ship. No longer will we have to bounce from place to place on this unstable back up power supply, but fly whenever we want to, and wherever we wish to go. The Saurian empire will rise again!"

In the Next Episode of the Mighty Ducks...

"With these generators, we can increase production of these crystals, like triple, man," said Darkflame, looking at Dragaunus.

Dragaunus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Agreed," he said, then smiled at Darkflame. "Why don't we see what you can do for me."

Darkflame returned the smile. "Anything for you, Dad. Anything for you."

Darkflame growled as a puck sailed over his head. "Didn't I just quit one of these scenes?" he asked himself. He grabbed a chair and tossed it overhead. It crashed into several boxes, causing them to topple over.

A cry of pain caught his attention. Peering over, he grinned. Wildwing was stuck underneath them.

"Time to say good-bye," said Darkflame, picking up his fallen laser.

Dragaunus glared at Nightbloom as Darkflame stood behind him, angry yet scared at the same time.

Nightbloom's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed. "You've grown emotionally attached to him! Let me remind you, Sir. Sentiments can be the downfall of anyone, including Saurians."


	14. Hope

Disclaimer: All Mighty ducks characters belongs to Disney. Nightbloom is mine!!

Summary: The Mighty Ducks set up a trap that doesn't go exactly as planned, but the outcome does provide them something they were losing....hope.

**Hope**

A woman with shoulder length brown hair stood facing the camera. She had a microphone in one hand while the other tossed her hair back. She gave a big smile as the camera man counted down using his fingers.

"Vanessa LeSnoops here, live at Competitor Carl's Science and Engineering plant with Dr. Tarkay who has developed a new prototype generator that specializes in providing enough power to create crystals.

"Tell me, Dr. Tarkay. What do you hope to accomplish with your new invention?"

A woman with long blonde hair and green eyes framed by glasses said flatly, "Fame and fortune."

"Pardon?"

"I mean, I wish for a lot. With natural resources depleting, it's natural for humans to look for other natural sources of power."

LeSnoops gave a forced chuckle. "Naturally."

"Looking at everything we have, the scientific community has decided to turn to the energy of crystals. Studying their structure, it has been decided that it is the easiest to create as opposed to other fuels like crude oil and such. Synthetic oil just doesn't cut it anymore.

"With my new invention, everything will be revolutionalized. I'm hoping that this will become part of every household in the future of America, and eventually the world!"

"So has this been tested?"

"Of course! It makes better quality crystals than any other science labs, such as Lisa's Labs, has ever created. Which, by the way, I hear their security isn't all that great. Here at Carl's, it's like Fort Knox."

"And there you have it. This is Vanessa LeSnoops signing off. Back to you Charles at channel four." X

Darkflame turned off the television with a snap of his fingers.

"Specializes in making crystals, eh?"

Darkflame leaned back into the couch and his eyes narrowed in thought. "This needs some serious consideration." He smirked. "And a bit of research." X

"You owe me an exclusive!" shouted Vanessa LeSnoops, flinging her hair over her shoulder and marching up to Canard. "And it better be a good one, too, considering that I just lied to the public with a phony report!"

"And you'll get your exclusive," said Canard, calmly. "Before the season is over, as promised." He moved away.

"Argh! Hockey players!" exclaimed Vanessa, throwing her hands up into the air. "They're worse than celebrities!"

Meanwhile, Captain Klegghorn and Wildwing stood side by side.

"Do you really think this will work?" Klegghorn asked.

"I hope so," responded Wildwing. "Every time the Saurians have been one step ahead of us. With any luck, they'll come after this and we'll be waiting."

"I hope so too, for your sake. And Nosedive's."

Wildwing glanced at the short human. "What do you mean?"

Klegghorn turned away. "The City's Chief of Police has been on my back about Darkflame. He wants me to issue a shoot on sight order."

"You can't do that!" Wildwing cried out. "Nosedive isn't himself and that Darkflame character is something the Saurian's cooked up."

"I know that, Wildwing. You know that. But the public doesn't. All they know is that Darkflame is a menace and must be stopped by whatever means necessary."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" pleaded Wildwing.

Klegghorn shook his head. "I've been trying to stall, but I won't be able to hold out much longer. The mayor has been having his say as well. In a couple of days, you ducks are on your own."

Klegghorn walked away, leaving a stunned Wildwing behind.

_My little brother is a wanted felon_,was all he could think.

At that moment, Canard approached Wildwing. "C'mon," he said. "We're ready, let's go home."

Wildwing followed Canard back to the Migrator, feeling numb all over. X

Darkflame waves a set of papers in front of Dragaunus.

"With these generators, we can increase production of these crystals, like triple, man," the duck said.

"Really," drawled Dragaunus, looking impressed as he took the papers from Darkflame's hands.

"I could round up the troops and bring those dawgies home," crowed Darkflame, in a southern accent.

Chameleon, who was lurking not too far away, grimaced. "Great. Now he's trying to take my place as an imitator. Well, I'm still much better than him."

He made his way over to Siege and Wraith who were standing in the darkest corner of the room.

Dragaunus smiled at Darkflame, and then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Agreed," he finally said. "Why don't you see what you can do for me?"

Darkflame returned the smile. "Anything for you, Dad. Anything for you."

"That would be unwise."

Darkflame and Dragaunus whirled around in surprise as Chameleon yelped. Siege and Wraith jumped back, up against the wall as Nightbloom's form appeared in the middle of the room.

She walked up to them. "The idea that there generators were made known to public before any type of crystal power source has been officially established is suspicious."

Dragaunus snorted. "Nonsense. Human are frivolous and are constantly trying to make themselves famous."

Nightbloom's eyebrow twitched. She bowed her head. "Do as you wish then. I have only offered you my opinion." She stepped back and disappeared.

"I think she's just trying to make herself seem so valuable to us. I say we get rid of her!" growled Darkflame.

"Soon, son. Soon."

In the corner, Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith glanced at each other.

"But that will still leave us to deal with Dark brat," muttered Chameleon.

Siege and Wraith nodded. X

Canard sipped from his cup as he kept an eye on Wildwing.

The white drake was seated beside him, his eyes vacant. He noticed the haggard appearance on his friend.

"Don't worry, Wing. We'll find him soon."

Wildwing looked up at him, his eyes almost blank. "They're going to kill him," he stated flatly.

Canard pulled back in response. He wasn't expecting Wing to say that. "Who?" he asked.

"Nosedive."

"No they won't," said Canard, relaxing just a bit. "If those Saurian's haven't killed him yet, I doubt that they would do so now."

Wildwing slammed a fist down on the table. "Not the Saurians, the Anahiem police! Klegghorn told me that the city want to put a shoot on sight order against Darkflame!"

"But..." started Canard, his voice trailing off. "And only we know the truth about Darkflame and Nosedive," he whispered hoarsely.

"Now do you understand," Wildwing hissed, standing up from the table. "Any human will do anything for a bit of fame and fortune. Not only will the police be looking for Darkflame, but any civilian wanting to have his five minutes of fame! None of this would have happened if I had been..." Wildwing stopped himself.

Canard felt his heart grow cold. "If you had been what?" he asked slowly.

Wildwing sighed and shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered, before walking away.

Canard slumped against his chair. He closed his eyes. "Stars," he breathed. "Where did I go wrong?" X

Duke sat on the top of the Pond. It was the only place he could think of that took him away from the ducks and away from the reporters.

At first he thought that Tanya was the only duck worth talking too. But suddenly she decided that maybe Wildwing wasn't at fault with the whole deal. That was something he completely disagreed with.

A few choice words and Tanya threw the nearest thing she could get her hands on at him. Her tool box. After that, he had stormed off and sought some peace.

_Heh, now I'm beginning to sound like Grin_, he thought wryly. X

Nightbloom watched with emotionless eyes as Dragaunus and Darkflame prepared for the latest excursion.

Off to the side stood Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith, mumbling to themselves as normal.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction, as a tiny smirk formed on her lips.

"Never doubt a woman's intuition," she said, before disappearing. X

Competitor Carl's was more of a warehouse of technology than a lab. The main room had half built prototypes of something or other, circuit boards, models, and crates packed with finished projects or metal parts.

The room was fairly large and walking around the different size boxes was like going through a maze. Hundreds of files cabinets lined the walls and sat in clusters in the middle of the giant room.

The place was empty as far as humans went, and the place was completely quiet. A green glow filled the room for a moment and then disappeared.

Five aliens stood in it's place.

Darkflame looked around and whistled loudly. "Great job, Chameleon. You did something right and actually got us inside the building. Guess I must be rubbing off on you, eh?" He threw a smirk at the small Saurian.

Chameleon grumbled something intelligible.

Dragaunus growled. "Leave it to the humans to be so disorganized. Search through everything until we find the blasted prototype."

"But how will we know if we find it? They didn't exactly show it to the public."

Darkflame rolled his eyes. "Well, duh, anything that looks like a generator. I'll see if I can find the blueprints in the files."

Lord Dragaunus nodded as he to went towards the file cabinets.

Chameleon and Siege began to tear through the crates as Wraith used his powers to open up others.

Darkflame paused for a moment.

"What is it?" asked Lord Dragaunus, noticing the concerned look on the duck's face.

"Somehow I can't help but think that this is going too easily."

Dragaunus nodded. "Be on guard, everyone," he mentioned.

Up above them, in one corner of the room, a small security camera turned and focused on them. It's one small blinking red light changed to a steady green. X

Duke was walking past Drake 1 when the giant monitor flickered on, startling the grey duck.

He stepped back as the image of Darkflame and the four Saurians filled the screen.

"We've got action!" he shouted, pressing the alarm button on Drake 1's control panels.

Within a few moments, all ducks were boarded on The Aerowing. Each one was silent as Wildwing took control and flew the ship out of their secret entrance.

The tension among the ducks was thick.

Grin looked at each duck and sighed, knowing that this was a recipe for a disaster. X

"Got them!" Darkflame exclaimed, holding a set of papers in one hand. "Serial number T0814D310, prototypes 101  
through 115."

"Found some," grunted Siege, pointing to a stack of crates marked with the same serial number.

"Great job," said Dragaunus with an evil grin. "Soon we will have the Raptor rise for good and crush those blasted ducks."

"Think again, Lizard lips!"

The door leading to the room slammed open, revealing Duke, saber in hand. He stepped through and made room for the other ducks to enter.

"Drats!" hissed Darkflame. "I knew this was going along to easily."

"Blast them!" shouted Dragaunus.

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone scattered to hide behind crates and began to fire their weapons.

Pucks and lasers went flying in all sorts of directions.

Chameleon morphed into a giant snake and slithered his way around some boxes, heading towards Mallory.

Canard was shooting his pucks and would dodge from crate to crate, making his way towards Dragaunus.

Siege used his strength to push the crate he was using as a shield, heading towards Grin.

Wraith kept throwing fireballs towards Duke and Tanya, each one barely getting enough time to fire back.

Darkflame was both hurling his black fireballs and shooting a laser towards one duck and one duck alone, the one not firing back; Wildwing.

Wildwing huddled behind a file cabinet as another fireball went sailing over him. It hit some papers and they caught on fire, forcing him to move from his place. To the left of him, Mallory cried out in rage and pain.

Chameleon had wrapped himself around her and was squeezing her in his coils.

She struggled to get out, her face turning red from the lack of oxygen.

Canard took his focus away from Dragaunus for a brief moment. He aimed and fired at Chameleon, then began shooting at Dragaunus again.

The shape shifting Saurian dropped Mallory. Both of them lay on the floor, out cold.

"Wildwing!" shouted Canard.

Wildwing nodded once and dove towards Mallory. He did a quick check on her and was relived to find her basically unharmed.

A loud crash was heard and Wildwing spotted Siege tackling Grin. The large duck fought back, and both began to land heavy blows on each other.

Another flame flew over him, and Wildwing could feel the embers grazing his beak.

"Wing!" he heard Duke shout. "You gotta shoot back or he's gonna kill ya!"

Wildwing took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He didn't realize that he would have so much trouble defending himself against his own brother. Granted that the Darkflame persona was someone completely different, the body belonged to Nosedive.

Wildwing stood up once and fired a shot. He ducked back down.

Darkflame let out a cry of outrage as his laser gun went sailing of his hand. He dove behind a desk.

Darkflame growled as another puck sailed over his head. "Didn't I just quit one of these scenes?" he asked himself. "It's like deja vu all over again."

He grabbed the chair that was tucked under the desk and tossed it overhead. He heard it crash into something, followed by the sounds of several things falling.

A cry of pain caught his attention. Peering over, he grinned. Wildwing was stuck underneath several crates that must have been knocked over.

"Time to say good-bye," said Darkflame, picking up his fallen laser. X

Grin grunted as Siege slammed him into yet another crate. The box burst open and its contents scattered about. His hand landed on something bowl shaped, which he immediately grabbed and brought it down over Siege's head.

It fit perfectly.

"Hey!" growled Siege as he tried to take off the metal dish. He gave up and swung blindly. Grin grinned as landed one solid punch to Siege's jaw.

The large Saurian went sailing and collided into Wraith, knocking both of them to the floor.

Duke and Tanya glanced around, smiled and waved at Grin, then went back to ducking as Wraith and Siege untangled themselves.

Meanwhile, Wildwing struggled to get the boxes off his back. He paused as a pair of black boots stopped in front of him. He slowly looked up and felt his heart drop.

Darkflame stood before him, a wicked gleam in his eyes and a sinister smile on his face. A laser gun was pointed straight at Wildwing's head.

"My, my, what a predicament. Stuck under a bunch of boxes with lil' ol' me pointing a gun at you."

Wildwing stayed still, his eyes boring into Darkflame's.

Darkflame's grin faded. "Don't stare at me..." he said flatly. "..like that," he finished almost pleadingly.

Wildwing's stare didn't waver.

Darkflame gulped as the laser gun in his hand shook slightly. His facial features twisted into confusion, and then into a sad look as the gun lowered.

Wildwing held his breath as he caught sight of Nosedive.

"Wing?" croaked Darkflame, the black of his eyes turning white for an instant.

"Nosedive," Wildwing whispered.

They darkened again and Darkflame slowly raised the gun up. His face remained troubled.

A sharp cry from Dragaunus distracted him.

Canard has scored a hit and had knocked Dragaunus' weapon from his hand.

Wildwing pushed himself up and lunged towards Darkflame.

Darkflame whirled around, and growled as his wrists were grabbed by Wildwing.

The two struggled momentarily. Darkflame released his weapon and pulled back, dropping himself to the floor. He planted his feet into Wildwing's abdomen, and using his momentum, hurled the duck over him.

"Retreat!" shouted Dragaunus.

Seige yanked Chameleon off the floor and teleported out of the room.

Wraith followed suit.

Darkflame ran towards Dragaunus who reached out for him. They grabbed hands and the two disappeared as Canard dove towards them. He missed them by mere milimeters.

"Comet dust!" he shouted, as he slammed his fist into the ground.

The other ducks warily glanced at Wildwing, afraid to see his reaction.

They were surprised to see a small wistful smile on his face.

"Wing?" Canard asked, claming down.

Wildwing turned towards them.

"I saw him," he said.

"What?" asked Duke.

"Nosedive. He's still there. Inside."

"I don't understand," said Mallory, wobbling a bit while rubbing her head.

Duke gave her a questioning glance to which she nodded. "I'm fine."

Wildwing turned to her. "Darkflame didn't shoot me when he had the chance. Because Nosedive didn't let him."

The ducks looked at each other, and they each began to grin. X

Nightbloom glanced at the papers in her hands and then at the few prototypes before her. She pulled out her saber and slashed through four of them with one swipe.

"Hey!" shouted Darkflame.

"You fool!" she hissed, her eyes narrowing in anger. "These are nothing but shells. If you had paid attention to the blueprints, you would have seen that all this was impossible! It was a trap and all of you fell for it!"

Seige, Wraith, and Chameleon glanced at each other, a slight smirk on all their faces.

Darkflame growled. "All right, all right! A simple 'I told you so' would suffice!"

Nightbloom turned and stalked towards him.

Darkflame stood his ground, looking bored.

"No, it won't," she said. "You have failed not only in this matter, but another one as well. I observed and saw you hesitate to kill Wildwing."

Darkflame glared. "Minor relapse" he snarled at her. "I'll do it right next time."

"There will be no next time. In your hesitation, you have become a liability, and all liabilities must be terminated." She swung out her saber as Darkflame let out a startled "eep" and dashed behind Dragaunus.

"Don't you dare," he growled. Dragaunus glared at Nightbloom as Darkflame stood behind him, angry yet scared at the same time.

Nightbloom's eyes widened for a moment in surprise at the male Saruain's interference. Then they narrowed. "You've grown emotionally attached to him!" she hissed in disgust. "Let me remind you, Sir Dragaunus, sentiments can be the downfall of anyone, including Saurians."

She placed her saber back in it's place, turned and left.

Dragaunus just snarled and flicked his tail as Darkflame ran a nervous hand through his hair.

Meanwhile, the other three Suarians just looked on.

"Perfect," said Wraith. X

Nightbloom stood outside on top of a building. From her location, she could see the Pond.

A cold chuckle escaped from her lips. "To whence he comes from, he shall return," she said. "Emotions are nothing but a setback, and allows one to be easily played."

In the Next Mighty Ducks Episode...

* * *

"I was just wondering, what are the chances of Darkflame reverting to his old self?" Chameleon asked.

Nightbloom looked at him from the corner of her eye, an evil smirk dancing on her lips. "Minimal. There is only one sure way,"  
she said, patting a small pouch that was tied to her belt.

* * *

Darkflame whirled around, hands up and ready to blast the morons who summoned him to this place.

He let out a grunt as something slammed into his back and he went crashing to the floor.

* * *

Captain Klegghorn glanced down his car's radio and shook his head at the newscast. "Unbelievable," he muttered, and looked  
up.

He cried out in surprise and yanked the steering wheel to the right, only catching a glimpse of something yellow and white.


	15. Prodigal Duck Returns

**Summary:** Chameleon, Seige, and Wraith plot to get rid of Darkflame, and succeed.

**The Prodigal Duck Returns**

_Characters of the Mighty Ducks the Animated series are copyright to Disney. Nightbloom and minor non canon characters are mine._

Chameleon nervously made his way to the room that Nightbloom occasionally occupied. "How did I get picked for this job?" he asked himself.

He knocked on the door and frowned when there was no answer.

He jumped back, startled, when the door swung open.

Nightbloom stood staring down at him, her closeness and height intimidating. "What do you want, Commoner," she asked.

Chameleon bit back a snarl, knowing that he needed to play nice this time.

"Well, you see, after the fiasco last night and all, I got some questions, and I figure you're the best one to ask, being smarter than us and all."

Nightbloom's eyebrow twitched slightly.

Chameleon morphed into a twisted image of Annie, looking up at Nightbloom with big, innocent, pleading eyes. "Please?"

Nightbloom turned around and walked back into her room, leaving the door open.

Chameleon walked in cautiously, unsure whether or not that was her permission for him to enter.

Nightbloom made her way to a black marble dresser with a large mirror overlooking the room. She stared at his reflection. "What is it that you need to know?" she asked, in a bored tone.

"Well, we all saw how Darkflame didn't _kkrrrkk_ the duck when he had the chance," said Chameleon, making a slashing motion across his throat. "I was just wondering, what are the chances of Darkflame reverting to his old goodie self?" Chameleon asked.

Nightbloom looked at him from the corner of her eye, an evil smirk creeping on her lips. "Minimal. There is only one sure way," she said, patting a small pouch that was tied to her belt.

"It was a minor relapse in the programming and spell. It is a concern, which is why I believe it best to eliminate him now. The real soul reclaimed the body for a moment. Although it is impossible in his state to overthrow Darkflame, Nosedive will still pose a threat." She turned away from him and stared into the mirror.

Chameleon didn't really like where this was headed. "So this basically means that Darkflame is going to be a permanent resident."

"He is now the dominant soul. But a lucky shot to the head can put Nosedive in charge."

Chameleon looked hopeful.

"Temporarily."

Chameleon looked disappointed.

"Unless...a dash of this powder is sprinkled over him in an unconscious state." Nightbloom once again patted the small pouch tied to her waist. She turned and stared into Chameleon's eyes. "And it only works along with my spells, so it's not as if Wraith will find use for it."

Chameleon pretended to look insulted. "I wasn't thinking that!" he said.

Nightbloom let out a small "Hmph," before she turned back to the mirror. "You may leave now. You have asked more than enough questions."

Chameleon left the room.

Nightbloom untied the pouch from her waist and placed it on the dresser. She looked into the mirror, the smirk on her face reflecting back. "Predictable," she murmured. X

Chameleon scampered down the hall and ran into someone.

"Hey, watch it!" he heard Darkflame snarl. "Or else I'll turn you into roast iguana! I hear it's a delicacy in Southern America."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, You Excellency," said Chameleon, grovelling at Darkflame's feet.

The dark duck stepped back, caught off guard by the Saurian's strange behavior. "Yeah," he said, hugging the wall and making his way around the pleading lizard.

"Please, forgive me! I am but your humble servant."

Darkflame frowned and moved away, throwing one more quick glance back at the little Saurian. "I smell a rat," he muttered to himself, before disappearing around a corner.

Chameleon stood up and grinned, before morphing himself into a small rodent and hurrying back to where Siege and Wraith awaited for him. X

All the ducks gathered in the ready room, and so did Phil.

Captain Klegghorn stood there next to Wildwing. "I've got some bad news," he said.

Wildwing and Canard looked at each other, anticipating and dreading Klegghorn's next words.

The others noticed their reactions and grew fearful, not knowing what the news could possibly be.

Captain Klegghorn turned away and sighed. "I had to give out the shoot-on-sight order this morning. I couldn't delay it any longer."

Wildwing dropped into a nearby chair as Phil squawked.

The ducks and Phil all spoke at once.

"What do you mean!" cried Tanya.

"You can't shoot that duck! He's one of my players! Besides, I don't think my insurance will cover that!"

"Put a sock in it," snapped Duke.

"But he's not himself," interjected Grin.

Mallory stood stunned, having had orders like that in the military.

"I know, I know," said Klegghorn, holding up his hands. "But the city doesn't know that and they want Darkflame stopped by any means necessary. I have no choice but to follow the orders of my superiors."

"There is absolutely nothing you can do?" asked Duke.

Klegghorn shook his head. "Nothing. I could only give you the heads-up." The captain walked out of the room, with Phil leading him out. X

Siege chuckled as he punched his fist into the palm of his claw a couple of times. "This is gonna be great," he growled.

"Indeed," agreed Wraith.

"Now all we have to do is get that powder away from Nightbloom without her noticing," said Chameleon.

Wraith groaned. "A near impossible feat."

"I'm sure she has to put it down sometime."

"Then we should stake out her room," said Siege.

"Well, all righty then. Let's go!"

The three Saurians headed down towards Nightbloom's chambers, acting as casual as they could. The paused outside her door when the noticed that it had been left lightly open.

"Okay," said Chameleon. "This seems almost too easy."

Chameleon slowly pushed open the door. "Nightbloom?" he asked. "You here?"

There was no answer.

Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege crept into the room. Chameleon gasped, startling the other two Saurians. "Look, there it is!" he whispered loudly.

There on the dresser was the small pouch that Nightbloom had showed to Chameleon.

The three Saurians made their way to the dresser.

"So now what do we do," asked Siege. "It's not like we can take the whole bag. She'll notice it missing."

Wraith conjured up a small bag of his own. "We can borrow a bit," he said.

Chameleon picked up the bag, unwrapped the twine that held it closed, and poured a bit into the bag in  
Wraith's claw.

He then wrapped it closed and set if back on the dresser, precisely where he found it.

"Okay then, let's go," said Siege.

The three Saurians crept out of the room.

"So now all that's left is to get Darkflame on his own," said Chameleon.

"Will you be quiet! Someone could hear you," growled Siege.

"Sorry," muttered Chameleon. "But still, any ideas?"

"We could always ask for his help and for him to meet us somewhere."

"I doubt he'd believe that," drawled Wraith.

Chameleon suddenly snickered. "But I think I just came up with a simple plan." X

Nightbloom watched as Darkflame teleported out to somewhere, looking annoyed. A few moments later, she spotted the Saurians doing the same.

She shook her head and went to her room.

She strode up to the dresser and lifted her pouch from the top and held it in her hand. She tossed it twice into the air, as if testing its weight. Then she stared at it, the corner of her mouth giving one slight twitch. X

The moon was full and it rested high in the sky, casting dark shadows against all sort of structures. The air was still and the streets were empty, save for one lone squad car sweeping through with its flood light.

Darkflame mentally cursed himself as he came across an alley with a dead end.

"Now where are those stupid humans?" he asked himself.

Earlier on he had received a message that the three humans who had helped him rob banks wanted a favor. It annoyed him to no extent that such peasants would dare ask the son of a lord for a favor. While the humans proved useful for his projects, they were nothing but novelty, and novelty always wore off.

There was a slight scuffling sound behind him.

Darkflame whirled around, arms outstretched and ready to blast the morons who summoned him to this place.

He let out a grunt as something slammed into his back and he went crashing to the floor.

He shook his head, trying to clear the stars from his vision.

He stood up on shaky legs and blindly shot out a black fireball. He cried out in anger as he felt something hot strike his chest.

The force knocked him down against a wall.

He saw a shape standing before him, so he swung out and connected one solid punch.

That was the only hit he was able to accomplish.

Dirt flew into his eyes, effectively blinding him.

"Argh!" Darkflame cried out, rubbing his eyes and leaving his stomach unprotected. Something heavy struck him there, bringing him down to his knees.

He fumbled for his teleporter, but it was knocked from his hands.

A moment later, a hard object stuck his head. He landed on the floor in a heap. As darkness and silence slowly came, he felt something soft and light flutter against his face.

Then sweet oblivion came to his aching body. X

"Finally," said Wraith, twirling his staff in his claws. "We rid ourselves of Darkflame."

Chameleon rubbed his jaw as he pocketed an empty pouch. "About time," he muttered.

Siege pulled out his laser. "And now we get rid of the duck." He aimed down towards the unconscious Darkflame.

A loud snarl interrupted them. They whirled around to face the sound.

"What was that?" asked Chameleon.

"Probably some mangy mutt," replied Siege.

A loud screech sounded out, followed by the sounds of metal cans banging into each other.

"We're under attack!" shouted Chameleon.

"Retreat!" ordered Wraith.

The three Saurians disappeared in a flash of green light. A split second later, a cat tore out of the ally, followed by a dog.

Within moments, everything was silent again.

A soft purple glow emitted from Darkflame's body. It slowly drifted down towards the brooch that held his cape closed. It disappear as if absorbed. X

Sounds of distant screams.

Sounds of distant explosions.

A duet of maniacal laughter.

Eyes snapped open, taking in the scenery. The sidewalk was trashed, and it was dark. A light kept flickering on and off nearby.

Everything was fuzzy.

Buildings swayed side to side, and the streets were unsteady.

A pair of bright lights flashed, followed by a squealing sound and a crash.

Then darkness. X

Captain Klegghorn muttered to himself as he drove down the empty streets. There were some days that he hated being captain. The long hours were exhausting, and the constant dressing down he had to put up with the commissioner and the mayor were monotonous. Not to mention the burden it put on his personal life. Being a captain consumed him.

Klegghorn glanced down at his car's radio and shook his head at the current newscast.

"In other sports related news, there is still no sign of Nosedive, the NHL team member of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Rumors have it that he's been abducted by aliens and taken back to his home world."

"Unbelievable," he muttered. "Although they aren't too far off," he added, after thinking about it. He looked up.

A figure dressed in dark robes suddenly appeared before him.

"Jehosephat!" Klegghorn cried out in surprise yanking the steering wheel to the right.

His car tires squealed as it swung out of control, skidding straight into some garbage cans. The cans flew in every which direction as Klegghorn's car bounced over the curb and onto the the sidewalk.

The car stopped and everything was silent.

Klegghorn slowly got out of the car, making mental notes about possible injuries. He noted none.

He glanced back to where he first spotted the figure and saw that whoever it was had collapsed to the floor. He made his way to the person in the middle of the street. As he got closer, he noticed that there was something very familiar about him.

"What the..." he said, recognizing the blond hair.

Klegghorn slowly reached forward and pulled on the shoulder.

"Nosedive," he murmured, as the face came into view. X

Klegghorn sat on his couch, drinking a mug full of hot cocoa.

He remained silent as he stared at the alien duck lying on his couch.

"Someone really worked a number on you, didn't they, kid," he finally muttered.

Klegghorn reached over for the communicator that was lying on a small stand next to him.

A soft moan distracted him.

Nosedive shifted on the couch, and bleary eyes blinked.

"Hey, kid, you all right?" Klegghorn asked, moving to the young duck's side. His hand rested against the gun in his holster just in case.

Nosedive blinked a few times. "No?" he finally said, sounding unsure of himself. He winced. "Cap?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Klegghorn smirked. "I live here."

Nosedive widened his eyes to look around.

It was a somewhat small yet cozy apartment.

The walls were bare, except for a couple of diplomas and certificates framed and hanging.

A wall unit held some trophies, plaques and pictures, all dealing with the police one way or another. There was one that looked like a family portrait, but Nosedive couldn't be too sure.

A small potted plant sat on the center of a plain looking coffee table, with magazines and newspapers scattered about.

A headline caught his eye.

POLICE ISSUE A SHOOT ON SIGHT ORDER FOR DARKFLAME

His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the picture. That duck looked very familiar. His vision swam and he closed his eyes. "Where's Wing?" he asked.

"I'll call him," said Klegghorn. "Then we'll talk a bit."

Nosedive made an affirmative sound, since nodding seemed to make things worse. X

"There," said Tanya. "Drake 1 caught a small signal of a teleportation."

"That's the only lead we got," said Canard. "Let's go."

At that moment, the wrist com unit on Wildwing flashed.

The ducks glanced at each other. They were all accounted for, standing in the same room.

"Wildwing here," said the duck, looking into his com unit.

"Wildwing, this is Klegghorn. "I've found the kid. He's at my place."

"What?" exclaimed Duke, voicing the disbelief of the other ducks.

"He's roughed up. And very confused."

"We'll be right over," said Wildwing.

"To the Migrator," ordered Canard.

"No need to tell us twice," said Mallory. X

Nosedive looked up at Klegghorn. He sat up when the police captain handed him a mug of something hot. He sniffed at it and then slowly drank it. He gave a weak smile. "You make one mean cocoa," he said, his voice a bit hoarse.

Klegghorn winked. "Milk instead of water usually does the trick," he said.

"Where did you learn to make it this good?"

Klegghorn had a sad smile on his face. "My kid use to drink the stuff daily during cold weather."

"Kid?"

"He's with his mother. Will be graduating next year." The captain sat down opposite of Nosedive. "So. . . what do you remember?" he asked, clearing moving away from the questions dealing with his personal life.

Nosedive's smiled faded. "I...I...don't...remember...anything." The young duck looked up. "I hear a voice, but...I can't make out what it's saying."

Klegghorn nodded. "It's all right."

Nosedive looked back at the newspaper on the coffee table.

"Darkflame," he whispered.

On his chest, the crystal of his amulet glowed for one second, then died. X

Klegghorn watched as Grin carried Nosedive to the Migrator, cradling him in his arms.

Wildwing hovered anxiously, while the other ducks kept their distance, but casting their worried looks over to the blond duck.

Klegghorn stared, his face expressionless. He waited until the Migrator was gone from his sight before he smiled again. X

Nosedive slowly made his way through the Pond. He looked around, as if it were his first time. He ran his hands over the controls of Drake 1.

Wildwing and Duke trailed not to far behind.

Canard watched from a distance.

Grin stood to one side, arms crossed, but looking generally pleased.

Mallory and Tanya stood side by side, glancing at each other and then at Nosedive.

"How do you feel, baby bro?" Wildwing asked.

Nosedive remained silent for a few moments.

He took a deep breath. "Like I'm home," he finally said, turning around and giving his older brother a big smile.

Wildwing grinned and pulled his little brother into an embrace.

"I think this calls for a group hug," said Duke, walking towards the two white ducks.

Everyone else except for Canard stepped forward.

"Aw, guys!" said Nosedive, blushing.

"Nice to have you back home, Dive," said Mallory.

"Things were quiet without my little bud," said Grin.

"I think I'm gonna cry," said Nosedive, in half jest, as the ducks surrounded him and all gave one giant group hug.

Off to the side, Canard watched with a small grin on his face. It slowly faded as he got to thinking...will Nosedive remember his criminal life? For the young duck's sake, he hoped not.

In the Next Episode of the Mighty Ducks...

* * *

Canard stepped up to the podium, as cameras flashed brightly. "People of Anaheim. We come before you today to tell you of a threat that has been looming over your heads for a while. His name is Dragaunus, and he intends to rule your world."

* * *

"What's wrong, little bud?" Grin asked, approaching Nosedive.

Nosdeive looked up, his eyes looking haunted. "I don't know," he said. "In my head, I know I'm back home, and I should be feeling safe. But in my heart, I feel like I don't belong."

* * *

Nosedive let out a grunt as his body got checked into the boards. _Man, I'm just not with it today_, he thought to himself.

Someone called time out and Nosedive made his way to the bench. He froze when he saw Canard standing before him.

"Nosedive!" Canard barked.

Nosedive looked up into his eyes with fear.


	16. Out of Place

**Summary: **Nosedive is back and it's time to play his first game in weeks. But how will things go when he realizes he's not ready?

**Out of Place**

_Characters of the Mighty Ducks the Animated series belongs to Disney. Nightbloom and all minor non canon characters belong to me._

The swishing sounds of skates on ice filled the Pond as five of the seven Mighty Ducks practiced on the ice.

Canard shouted a warning to Mallory as he passed her the puck.

She took it and skated quickly towards the goalie's net, where Duke was taking his turn as the goalie.

Duke dashed forward, his intentions to stop her clear. Mallory banked to the left and cried out in frustration as Tanya stole the puck away from her.

"Good play," shouted Canard.

Duke and Tanya flashed a grin.

Tanya traveled across the rink towards Grin. "Oh boy," she muttered. "This is going to be tough."

Grin skated a few paces forward, his body still blocking the goalie net.

"Where's Wildwing when you need him?" she asked, as she tried to get a shot past the big guy.

The puck bounced off of Grin's chest, who immediately swung at the puck with his hockey stick, sending it flying towards the sidelines.

It landed in the left hand of Wildwing.

Nosedive stood next to him.

All the ducks stopped and stood still, all but Canard holding their breath.

The first day of Nosedive's return had been joyous, all the ducks in good humor. But a couple days later, Nosedive's emotions and personality had become a roller coaster. He jumped at every shadow and had to be sedated a couple of times because he was aggrivating his injuries. Wildwing stood beside him through it all.

As for the skating rink, Nosedive hadn't gone near it, until now.

Nosedive looked up nervously at his brother. His appearance was still a bit rough on the edges, bags under his eyes.

His hair was somewhat limp and lifeless, and the perkiness he usually held absent.

But the bruises sustained in whatever beating he had gotten were almost gone.

Wildwing looked more at ease than the previous weeks, but he also shared some of Nosedive's traits. The bloodshot eyes and the tired way he carried himself. But the soft smile on his face was welcome.

Canard skated towards them.

Duke watched warily, noticing the look of apprehension on Nosedive's face.

"We need to talk," said Canard, somewhat gruffly.

Nosedive nodded.

Wildwing gently squeezed Nosedive's shoulder. X

"What do you hear?" asked Tanya.

"Nothing," responded Duke.

Both ducks were pressing their ears against the sealed door, hoping to catch some of the conversation taking place behind it.

"What are you two doing?" Mallory's sharp voice asked, startling Tanya.

"Shh," responded Duke, still in his place.

"Just, uh, that is," stammered Tanya.

"Canard, Dive, and Wing, " murmured Duke.

"In that case, move aside!" Mallory joined the other two. "I don't hear anything," she muttered.

A few seconds later, a large shadow cast over them. The three looked up to see Grin standing over them, holding four glass cups.

"Simple solutions always come when you're mind is crystal clear," he said.

"Those would work," said Duke, with a grin, putting the cup to good use. X

Nosedive sat staring on the floor as Wildwing and Canard closed the door behind him.

"Nosedive," started Canard. "I'm just going to go straight to the point. I don't know everything that happened to you while you were gone, and I can't imagine what must be going inside of you. I do, however, want to apologize that our team wasn't able to help you sooner."

Nosedive glanced up and then back down.

"I'm willing to give you the time you need to recuperate," continued Canard. "Then we will restart your training. I'm not going to start from the beginning, but rather have you run the course and see what skills you still retain, and what you need to learn. You'll be doing exercises to gain back your maximum strength, although judging by some of your recent actions, it shouldn't take long...Unless you've been holding out on us."

Nosedive winced in embarrassment. In a fit of anger earlier on, he had shoved a book case away from the rec room's wall.

"I've also decided that it's time Anaheim knows about the threat of Dragaunus. It makes no sense to keep him a secret from the public after everything he's done. I'll be speaking to Klegghorn, and I think he will agree to this. Will you be willing to add anything about Dragaunus to our press conference?"

Nosedive gave a hesitant nod.

Canard nodded once.

"I also want to know if you're up to a game?"

"What?" asked Nosedive, looking up at Canard.

Wildwing was standing with a pleased look on his face.

"A game," stated Canard. "We have our first game of the play offs at the end of the week."

"Already?"

"Time flies, lil bro," said Wildwing.

"Well?"

"I, I don't know," answered Nosedive. "I...it's been a while, I guess."

"We can give you a work out on the ice, but that's only if you're willing to play. Or, if you wish, sit out the rest of this season."

"No! I mean, I rather not. I'd. . .I would love to play," responded Nosedive, harshly at first, then softly.

Canard nodded. "We'll begin later today. However, we'll be pushing for that press conference to be held tonight, if not tomorrow morning."

Nosedive nodded.

Wildwing grinned as Canard stepped towards the door. "It's gonna be great having you back on the team, Dive. Now we just have to let the others know the good news."

Canard smiled as he opened the door. His smile immediately turned into a frown as the rest of his team landed at his feet. Each of them held a glass cup in hand and had a sheepish look to their face. "Somehow, Wing, I think they know," he said. X

The conference room was it's usual blue. Reporters were seated on all the chairs available, while camera men and photographers stood against the wall, hoping for the best shot.

Phil tugged his tie nervously. He had always loved being the center of attention, but that was always to promote something. This press conference was more serious than anything he had ever done before in his life, and it made it worse.

He was given the cue to step forward and begin, several reporters having given their introductions to the camera's rolling.

Behind him stood the team and Klegghorn.

"My name is Phil Palmfeather, manager of the Mighty Duck's team. I just want to thank the Anaheim police force for doing their best in locating one of my missing players, Nosedive. A sincere thanks to Captain Klegghorn who aided us in this time of distress.

"However, having heard several rumors, we are here to put them to rest. Nosedive wasn't kidnaped by some fanatic. He wasn't exactly kidnaped by a terrorist or an alien hater. He was however, taken from us by someone who is a threat not only to my team, but to you all as well."

Reporter madly wrote down their notes as more light flashed.

"Mr. Palmfeather, Mr. Palmfeather! What do you mean?" some of them shouted.

"Please, no questions until the end," he said. He stepped to the side.

Nosedive moved forward, with Wildwing by his side.

"I was taken from my team for purposes of revenge," started Nosedive, his voice barely heard. The noise dimmed, everyone straining to hear him. "We are not, nor have ever been, just alien ducks from another dimension. We are not hockey players from another world, but rather soldiers from a war. We came here by accident, acting out on a mission." He glanced back at Canard.

Canard stepped up to the podium, as cameras flashed brightly. "People of Anaheim. We come before you today to tell you of a threat that has been looming over your heads for a while. His name is Dragaunus, and he intends to rule your world." X

"Where is he?!" raged Dragaunus, hurling one of his droids clear across the room. "Three days! Three whole days and not a feather of him in sight!"

Chameleon scampered out of the way.

Nightbloom resisted the temptation to roll her eyes as she slowly changed channels on the monitor, looking at news footages.

"We've looked all over for him in this blasted city," Wraith said, his tone ringing slightly false.

"Maybe the police has got him," Siege commented.

"Or the morgue," added Chameleon, under his breath.

The other two Saurians exchanged amused glances.

"Then look for him there! Something's keeping him from contacting us."

"We'll go out to search for him again," offered Siege.

"Is there anyplace we haven't gone?" asked Chameleon, keeping his voice low.

"We haven't been to a movie cinema," responded Wraith.

"Actually...there is a cool flick I wanted to watch."

"I know where he is," Nightbloom's voice sounded out, monotonous as ever.

The three henchmen froze, panic ready to settle in.

"Where?!" shouted Dragaunus, whirling around to face the female Saurian.

She looked back at the monitor.

The other Saurians gaped at the sight.

Canard was on the screen speaking, and behind him stood Nosedive, alive and looking like himself.

"His name is Dragaunus, and he intends to rule your world."

. . .

An angry roar filled the air.

"_WHAT?!?!_" X

"We have been fighting him for a while, then he traveled into your dimension. We followed him here and continued foiling his plan since. And we vow that we will not stop until he has been brought to justice."

Several people clapped and cheered at Canard's final words.

The other ducks nodded in response. X

_A maniacal laugh._

_A black flame._

Nosedive shook his head. Where were these images coming from?

_"Son."_

Nosedive's eyebrows met as he stared at the floor in deep concentration. He continued to walk along the hall.

Ever since he got back from...well... wherever he got back from, his brother was with him day and night. It got a bit suffocating after a while. It was as if Wildwing's presence was wrong.

And the sudden anxiety attacks he got, how embarrassing.

He would wake up from some hazy dream, screaming. And sometimes, he would imagine sensing someone by his side. A figure who gave him a sense of belonging. He was positive the only duck that made him feel that way was Wildwing. Not even his parents had that feel of protection. But whenever he was next to Wildwing, he felt alone and unprotected.

The sounds of footsteps broke his concentration. Judging by the sound of them, it was Grin.

"What's wrong, little bud?" asked a deep voice.

He was right.

"Nothing." he answered, hoping that Grin would leave him alone to his thoughts.

"Wanna sit down?"

Fat chance.

Nosedive sighed. Might as well, Grin could be awfully persistent.

Nosedive followed Grin to the rec room. None of the other ducks were around._ Thank goodness for small blessings_, he thought to himself.

They sat down.

"You look lost," started Grin.

"You could say that," muttered Nosedive.

"What do you mean?"

Nosedive remained silent for a few moments. Then he looked up, his eyes looking haunted. "I don't know," he said. "In my head, I know I'm back home, and I should be feeling safe. But in my heart, I feel like I don't belong."

Something passed through Grin's eyes. Regret? Guilt? Nosedive didn't dare ask.

"Any ideas why?" the giant duck asked.

Nosedive sighed. "No. I keep seeing this visions. And hearing this voice. And...I don't know. I feel different."

Grin's giant hand landed gently on his shoulder. "Just give it some time. It will be okay."

Nosedive sighed. "I hope so." X

Nosedive skated on the rink, moving slowly, then picking up speed. He stumbled a bit, then crashed into the ice as he lost his balance. He shook his head. "How long since I've been on the ice?" he thought out loud.

He glanced around, hoping that no one was around to see how bad he had gotten at skating. Well, maybe not bad. His body felt like it wasn't use to it.

Nosedive pushed himself back and and tried again, trying to lose himself in the familiar rhythm of skating. Left...right...left...right.

He smiled to himself as the familiar rhythm finally began to set in. X

The stadium was filling up with fanatics. Reporters were also gathered around the press area, while sounds of quacks would sound out from one section at a time.

Nosedive glanced out and promptly panicked.

"I don't think I'm ready, man!" he said, on the verge of hyperventilating.

Wildwing flashed a comforting grin and placed a hand on Nosedive's shoulder. "Relax, baby bro. You'll be fine, you'll see."

"I don't know," said responded Nosedive. "It's like a major attack of stage fright!"

"You always did like to be center stage, kid," remarked Duke.

Nosedive let out a noise that that crossed between a whimper and a growl as he tried to calm his nerves.

Duke laughed. X

"Eh, boss?" asked Chameleon.

"What is it?"

"You've never watched hockey before."

Dragaunus snarled. "And I wouldn't have to if _Nightbloom's _experiment hadn't gone wrong and Darkflame were still _here_!"

"Do not blame me," Nightbloom answered, her steady and bored voice further infuriating the male saurian. "There is no way Darkflame would have reverted to Nosedive on his own. I used both technology and magic, so therefore, only magic or science could have reverted him back." She stared at the other three saurians.

Chameleon, Siege, and Wraith gulped.

"Think she knows?" asked Chameleon under her breath.

"Suspects, maybe, but she hasn't said anything to Lord Dragaunus," responded Wraith. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" asked Siege.

"Unless she plans to blackmail us."

"Oh, this is just great!"

"So once again you say that your magic is superior! Other than creating Darkflame, I have yet to finish off the ducks with your so called help!" shouted Dragaunus.

"I gave you advice which you chose to ignore at times. Instead you relied on Darkflame to do it on his own instead of utilizing him as you have your own Saurians. He had brains, and a bond with you, and therefore would have made sure that your missions wouldn't have failed no matter what. He was good, but as all teenagers, his sense of direction needed some guidance, which you did not provide."

Dragaunus punched a hole through an unfortunate droid.

Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege slowly backed away.

"Do not blame me," growled Dragaunus.

"I am not blaming you, Sir. I'm just pointing out your mistakes." X

Fans cheered as the Mighty Ducks skated into the arena. Music blared from the speakers as they circled on their starting side before beginning their warm ups.

Wildwing flashed his young brother an encouraging smile.

Nosedive gave a shaky grin in return.

The referee blew on his whistle, and Canard skated to the side.

"I'm starting?" asked Nosedive.

Wildwing nodded.

"Oh, boy," muttered the younger duck. X

Dragaunus giggled.

Siege, Wraith, and Chameleon shuddered.

"Uh, just what are you planning?" Chameleon asked, cautiously.

"Darkflame will return one way or another."

"I disapprove," stated Nightbloom.

"And I am going to choose to ignore your opinion!" roared Dragaunus.

"Exactly how do you propose we retrieve him?" asked Wraith.

"By attacking when they least expect it." Dragaunus let out an evil chuckle. "But for now, I think I'll enjoy a nice game of hockey."

Nightbloom rolled her eyes and vanished. X

Tanya passed the puck to Duke as one of the opposing team members skated past her.

Duke skated towards the goal, and spotted the defense men heading his way. "Nosedive!" he barked out, sending the puck to his right.

Nosedive caught the puck and spotted the defense men heading his way. He shot it back to Duke.

Duke missed it by several inches.

Nosedive winced. _Looks like my aim is off, too._

Their opponents got hold of the puck and went flying towards Wildwing.

Grin checked two of them while Mallory stole the puck from the other player. X

"And here we are between periods. This is Bob Caster with Phil Palmfeather, discussing the game play of the Mighty Ducks. Now Phil, we notice that Nosedive seems to be playing a bit slow. Was it so wise putting him back in the game after a long absense of time off the ice?"

"Yeah, well, it was his decision and the decision of the Ducks. While they're great team players, they only seem to listen to me when it's convenient. It will be their decision to take him off the ice." Phil tugged at his collar.

"Any word on what the police are going to do about his kidnapers. We hear that their hasn't been a formal statement released yet..."

"And you'll have to wait until it comes out. Let's just say that Nosedive would rather not hear any mention of it. Bad memories." Then he added "...doesn't remember exactly what happened." X

Dragaunus's eyes narrowed as he watched the screen. "I'm sure he doesn't. But I'm sure he'll want to know." X

Nosedive let out a grunt as his body got checked into the boards. _Man, I'm just not with it today_, he thought to himself. _I'm not with it, period!_

He sighed in relief as the bell sounded for the end of second period. His body was aching and he was having trouble catching his breath. Sweat dripped off his beak.

He glanced at the score board and grimaced at the score. It was a tie, no thanks to him. _If only I was as good as before_, he thought. _Then we would be winning by at least two points. _

Nosedive made his way to the bench. He froze when he saw Canard standing before him.

"Nosedive!" Canard barked.

Nosedive looked up into his eyes with fear. _I'm going to get it now._

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Duke tensing up and skating to him.

"Nosedive," repeated Canard, lowering his voice.

"Yeah, Cap'?" Nosedive said, warily.

"Do you think you can continue into the third quarter, or you want to sit out?"

Nosedive glanced at Wildwing who gave him an encouraging smile. The other ducks looked on with apprehension. He glanced back at the scoreboard and made his decision.

"I can't continue. I need more of a work out."

Canard nodded. "Very mature choice, Nosedive. There's hope for you yet."

Nosedive looked up, startled. There had been a gentle, almost teasing, tone in the older duck's voice, and when his eyes met with Canard's, the tan duck had winked.

Nosedive gave a shaky grin as he moved past Canard and sat flopped down on the bench.

Duke and Tanya grinned at each other, while Wildwing looked on proudly.

Mallory and Grin smiled to themselves. Seemed that things were going smoothly. X

"And the Ducks win the game against the Dallas Comets, 2 to 1. Close game..."

Dragaunus shut the monitor off. "Play your games, ducks," he sneered. "This season will be your last."

In the next episode of The Mighty Ducks:

Nosedive whirled around and found himself face to face with something tall and dark. Yellow eyes looked from underneath a hood.

With a sharp gasp he began running. The dark creature morphed into a shadow and chased him down the dimly lit streets.

"Wildwing!" he cried out in terror. "Wildwing, Duke! Grin!"

* * *

Nightbloom inhaled, then let out her breath slowly. "Security will be at a minimum during that time, focused completely on the game. It would be an ideal time for an attack."

Dragaunus grinned. "Thank you."

"Can we sit this one out?" asked Chameleon, earning a deathly glare. "Just kidding, boss. Sheesh."

* * *

As Tanya applied pressure to secure the wires, Nosedive felt a chill go down his back.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Wildwing asked, as he took in the way his little brother was shaking with nervousness.

"Yeah," Nosedive replied. "I have to know."


	17. End Game: Memories Part 1

A/N: Mighty Ducks the Animated Series belongs to Disney.

**Summary: **Nightmares continue to plague Nosedive as the Ducks get ready to play the Stanley Cup. How will learning the truth affect him and the others. And what means will Dragaunus be willing to go through to retrieve Darkflame.

**End Game:**  
Part 1: Memories

_Nosedive kicked a can across the sidewalk and looked up at the sky. He could see the moon through the lights, shining as dimly as possible. He shook his head and looked back at the floor, slowly walking along feeling sorry for himself._

_Suddenly he heard a crunching sound of broken glass. He slowly turned around, but there was nothing there. _

_Nosedive shook his head in puzzlement, but remained still, listening. He could hear nothing. Giving one more quick glance around him, Nosedive proceeded to walk._

_Crunch._

_There! Nosedive whirled around and found himself face to face with something tall and dark. Yellow eyes looked from underneath a hood._

_With a sharp gasp he began running. The dark creature morphed into a shadow and chased him down the dimly lit streets._

_"Wildwing!" he cried out in terror. "Wildwing, Duke! Grin!"_

_Up ahead he saw his team members, standing around Canard. They all turned to look at him and then turned away, dismissing him as if he were not worth their troubles._

_Nosedive cried out as the shadow reached out and grabbed hold of him. "Let go! Let go!"_

_Then there was a sense of falling, as Nosedive shouted out in fear._

"Omph!" Nosedive opened his eyes and found himself on the foot of his bed, wrapped up in damp bed sheets. He sat up, his breathing coming in harsh pants. "Oh, man, another one," he said, closing his eyes and leaning back up against the side of his bed.

He wiped away the sleep from his eyes and glanced at his clock. It read 3:30 am.

"Oh brother," he thought out loud. Canard was going to be coming for him in two and a half hours. With a groan, Nosedive pulled himself back up on his bed.

These private training sessions were torture, but there was a difference in his performance. For one thing, Nosedive could last the whole game and fared better at defense than offense at the moment. But he wanted to be back in the front again, and no matter how much of a pain it was, he was going to put up with Canard's training.

Nosedive closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. But shadowy images and a voice made it difficult.

_"Our apologies, young one. But we of the Saurian Code always use whatever means are necessary to get the job done."_ X

Canard cleared his throat.

Nosedive looked up.

Canard narrowed his eyes as he took in Nosedive's appearance.

The young duck had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked dead on his feet.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

Nosedive nodded. "I feel fine. Why?"

"You just agreed to go bungee jumping off the San Fransisco bridge."

Nosedive felt his cheeks go red. "I'm sorry. Maybe I am a little sleepy."

"You haven't been getting enough sleep at all," Canard stated. "Go back to bed."

"But we have another game in two days! Last game of the play-offs!"

"And you're absolutely no use to us if you drop dead in the middle of the game. Go get Tanya. Maybe she has something that will let you rest."

Nosedive nodded, looking doubtful. _Sleep? With my nightmares? Yeah right._ X

Nosedive knocked on the door to Tanya's lab.

"C'min," he heard her mutter, somewhat distractedly.

Nosedive entered the room and spotted Tanya working on some small black squared device.

"Oh, it's you!" she said enthusiastically. "I've been modifying the controls of the training room so that you personally could, like, adjust the level of difficulty on your own. You know, gradually working your way up."

"Thanks," murmured Nosedive, as Tanya pressed the black box into his hands. "But I came to ask you something, that's if, you'll, uh, listen to me."

"Sure! Ask away."

"I've, well, I've been having some dreams, nightmares, really, and I think they may be, uh, . . ." Nosedive struggled for the words he needed.

"Repressed memories?" Tanya suggested, realizing where this conversation was headed.

Nosedive nodded. "I was wondering, if you knew how to, uh, help me remember them."

Tanya bit her bottom lip. "Oh, gee, I don't know. That really needs the hand of a qualified psychologist, but if you really want me too, I can give it a try. Although maybe Grin has the meditation technique you need."

Nosedive nodded again. "Yeah, I suppose so. It's just that, I'm really tired of not knowing whether my dreams occurred or are just figments of my imagination, you know?"

Tanya patted his shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile. "I know. But it will get better in time." X

Chameleon cautiously approached Dragaunus, wondering if the Saurian overlord was going to blast him away like he did with the droids a few hours ago. "Um, boss?"

"Shh!" hissed Dragaunus. "I'm thinking."

"Of what?" asked Siege.

"Of how to bring back Darkflame while crushing those blasted ducks."

The other three saurians rolled their eyes. "Lord, why don't you forget about that plan?" started Wraith, as Chameleon and Siege shook their heads, trying to dissuade the older saurian from continuing. "Even Lady Nightbloom agrees that it's not worth the time and energy."

Dragaunus whirled around to face Wraith. "She knows nothing," he stated. "And if I so much as hear you agree with her again on this matter, you'll be joining the droids in the scrap heaps!" he roared.

"Forgive me, my lord," Wraith said with a slight note of fear.

"I was sure he was char-broiled lizard that time," muttered Chameleon.

Siege nodded in agreement.

"Element of surprise," said Dragaunus. "We entered the Pond once, we can enter it again. The question is when would be the best time to go about it."

Dragaunus eyes fell on a current newspaper. It's headlines read: FINAL GAME OF PLAY-OFFS; MIGHTY DUCKS SURE TO ENTER STANLEY CUP

He began to chuckle. "With a little patience, the best time will soon be here." X

Canard leaned against the wall of the infirmary.

Nosedive was lying down on a bed, looking nervous and scared.

Mallory stood off to the side, watching as Tanya hooked up some electrodes to Nosedive's temples.

"This will monitor your brain waves and heart beat," said Tanya. "The second it looks like you're in too much distress, we're pulling you out of your memories, got that?"

Nosedive nodded. On his other side sat Grin, whose eyes were closed as he took in slow and steady breaths.

At the foot of his bed stood Wildwing. Nosedive offered a shaky smile, and Wildwing returned one of affection. Nosedive calmed down just a fragment.

Duke stood next to Canard. "I don't think I'm ready for this," he said.

Canard snorted. "He's the one who's going to go through it."

"Yeah, but in a way, so will we."

Canard stared at Duke for a moment, then nodded his head. "I stand corrected."

Nosedive leaned his head back against the pillow.

Grin opened his eyes. Everything became quiet as Mallory dimmed the lights in the room.

"Close your eyes."

Nosedive closed his eyes.

"Take slow, steady breaths," said Grin, his voice dropping to a low soothing sound.

Nosedive focused on Grin's voice as he felt his body slowly relaxing. He no longer heard the hum of electricity, or the breathing of his companions. All he heard was his own heart beat, his own breath, and the steady voice of Grin. Before long, even that faded away.

And then the visions came... X

_The night was dar, as dark as his soul._

"I wanted to clear my mind. I was feeling upset. And I knew I could get out without anyone knowing, if I put my mind to it."

_Just a few buttons pressed and the alarm was off. The trip to the doors was uneventful. No one saw him, or heard him. The door made a soft click and slowly swung open. The air was cold and fresh. The door shut behind him._

"I was free. No one stopped me. To me it was because no one cared."

_The walk did nothing to clear his mind. The streets were bare, not even the glimpse of a rat sneaking it's way from sewer grate to sewer grate. A soft breeze would push a small piece of paper now and then, scraping it along the floor. But the voices in his head were too loud._

"I physically heard nothing. Saw no one. I was alone, except for all the thoughts going on in my head."

_He looked up, a sense of doom filling the air. All he saw were the sky scrapers, windows dark. The sky was black, it's stars barely noticeable with the lighting the street lamps gave._

"I had the feeling that I was being watched, or followed. But I brushed it off as paranoia."

_Then there was the crunching sound._

"I heard a noise. I turned, but there was no one there. I walked faster, and heard it again!"

_A dark imposing figure, with bright yellow eyes staring from under a hood. No face, just a shadow. It's intent unknown._

"Something was there. I couldn't see what it was, but I didn't like it. So I ran."

_The Pond was going to be the only safe place. So he turned into an alley._

"Siege was there. So I ran in an other direction. Tried calling for help. But my comm wouldn't work. And I spotted Wraith. I ran back in the same direction I'd come from, and saw Dragaunus. Then Chameleon."

_Blocked at all sides and knowing that back up would not be arriving. No other alternative but to play along at surrendering and hope for a chance to escape._

"I managed to escape them, tricking them into thinking I was giving myself up. I lost them."

_No Saurian was in sight, but he could still hear them. He took another route, determined to go back to the Pond and alert his brother. The comm unit was still out, otherwise that would have been his first choice. _

_So he started to head back, and then a voice softly spoke to him..._

_"Do you really want to go back?"_

"The words froze me in my place. I knew better, but...I couldn't help but think of the answer."

_The cloaked figure jumped in front of him. He demanded to know who this creature was._

"It said it's name wasn't important. That I was it's spy. I felt horrified."

_The pendant glowed in response. _

"It said it knew I was a burden from watching the team."

_Worthless. Irresponsible. The team gave no credit for the lives he saved. The bank robbers or the terrorists he had stopped. The team captain and his brother berated him instead._

"The words rang true. But I didn't want to believe that I believed that. "

_He backed away, shaking his head. He ran into something solid. Turning around, he felt dread as he saw Dragaunus towering over him victoriously. There was no way out. He heard the creature mention of his use to bring down his team mates. He refused to help._

_"You have no choice."_

_Then there was powder in his face, and an incantation._

"Everything grew dark. Quiet. And I fell."

_Images. So many image. Betrayal. Abandonment. No one to call. Worthless fool. A burden._

_"We don't need you."_

"No! It can't be true! Duke! Grin! Wildwing, please? Anybody!"

"Open your eyes, please!" X

Nosedive opened his eyes to find Wildwing clutching him to his chest.

The memories came crashing down at him at once. "W-what happened?" he asked, feeling his body trembling.

"You're heart rate shot straight through the roof," replied Tanya. "You weren't waking up until Wildwing grabbed hold of you."

Nosedive looked around and saw the reactions of the other ducks.

Mallory and Duke were staring with wide eyes. Canard looked grim, and Grin looked guilty. His brother seemed relieved for the moment.

"I think that's enough ," said Canard.

"No!" disagreed Nosedive. "I have to know. I have to remember."

Canard frowned. "Fine then, but that's enough for now."

"I agree," said Tanya. "With that kind of reaction you were sure to suffer some kind of physical break down."

Nosedive nodded slowly.

Canard glanced at his watch. "Suit up guys. We have practice. Nosedive, Wing...you guys can have an hour to compose yourselves."

Wildwing nodded while Nosedive leaned back and stared at the ceiling, looking lost in thought. X

Nightbloom sat in the shadows, watching the alien ducks practicing on the ice. For one hour she watched as they went through their exercises. Then Nosedive and Wildwing made their way to the rink.

Nosedive looked beat, but he was smiling. It wasn't with the same brightness he use to have, but his eyes had more light to them than when the public broadcast was done.

The ducks separated themselves into teams. Then they started their scrimmage. As she watched them play, she could see the determination each duck had.

She focused her attention on Nosedive.

"Amazingly, you didn't lose that light in you, hatchling," she murmured to herself. "If you manage to escape Dragaunus' plan to take you back, I believe you will be stronger than ever. Leadership material. And I'm sure others will see it too."

Nosedive let out a shout of frustration and swung his hockey stick. The puck went sailing into the goal, past Wildwing's gloved hand.

Duke cheered him on while Nosedive stood dumbfounded. Then he whooped in joy, bringing smiles to the other ducks. Canard, on the other hand, remained impassive.

"Don't get too cocky, kid," he said. "That's when it comes round behind you and bites you in the rear."

Nosedive rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered.

"Wise advice," murmured Nightbloom. "Be sure to follow it, or you will disappoint me as worthwhile adversaries." With those words, she disappeared. X

The stands were packed once again, and people cheered with great enthusiasm.

Phil was biting his nails while he paced back and forth in the locker room.

"Relax, Phil," said Duke.

"We'll beat them tonight," said Canard.

"So how ya feeling?" asked Wildwing, glancing at Nosedive.

Nosedive gave a slight nod. "Actually, bro, I'm feeling well. Got a good night's sleep last night. I think I may be ready for another session."

"We'll talk about it after the game," said Canard.

Nosedive nodded. X

"I still recommend you leave him alone," said Nightbloom, as she looked at the plan set out in front of her.

"And I'm choosing to disagree with you on that," replied Dragaunus. "If I position my droids here, precisely at this time, it should be successful."

"Why didn't you think of this earlier, Sir Dragaunus?"

Dragaunus grounded his teeth, then gave her a strained smile. "So I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. And Darkflame actually had some influence on my thoughts. This is something he would have come up with for sure."

Nightbloom inhaled, then let out her breath slowly. "Security will be at a minimum during that time, focused completely on the game. It would be an ideal time for an attack."

Dragaunus grinned. "Thank you."

"Can we sit this one out?" asked Chameleon, earning a deathly glare. "Just kidding, boss. Sheesh." X

"Duke!" shouted Canard, as he shot the puck towards the grey duck.

Duke swung his hockey stick and the puck went sailing past the goalie.

"And the Ducks are in the Stanley Cup!" shouted the announcer as both the goal siren sounded and the referee blew the whistle.

Fans went crazy as they stomped their feet, applauded, shouted, and whistled loudly.

Down on the ice, all the ducks met in the center as the defeated team slowly made their way off the ice.

Phil was jumping for joy by the stands as camera bulbs went flashing.

Overhead, the center scoreboard kept flashing "Ducks in Stanley Cup" over and over again.

"We got a lot of work cut out for us," said Canard. "Lots of practices ahead."

All the ducks nodded as they turned and waved at their fans in the stands. The people went wild.

Then they skated off the ice. X

Dragaunus turned off the monitor as the post game announcements began. X

Nosedive took a deep breath while Tanya prepared to put the electrodes back on his temples.

They were in the infirmary. Nosedive was sitting on the bed while Grin sat on a chair in front of him. Wildwing stood at the foot of the bed next to Canard.

As Tanya applied pressure to secure the wires, Nosedive felt a chill go down his back.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Wildwing asked, as he took in the way his little brother was shaking with nervousness.

"Yeah," Nosedive replied. "I have to know."

Tanya sighed. "Okay, but once again, if things get too bad we're pulling you out of it. We really should, like, be focusing on our championship games."

"I hear ya, Tanya, but..."

"But whatever keeps lurking in his mind is also impeding his playing skills," concluded Grin, startling the other ducks.

"What do you mean?" asked Wildwing. "He's just recovering."

"Grin's right. He gets this look in his eyes," said Canard, studying Nosedive. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Dive?"

Nosedive sighed. "I, I start seeing things while I'm on the ice. Like the players become droids, and then I'll see this black flame..."

Wildwing shot a look at Canard.

Canard shook his head.

"Okay," said Tanya. "We're ready on this end."

Nosedive looked at Grin.

Grin nodded. X

_Wires. Buttons. Blackness. Nothing could be seen or heard, but the straps holding him down were felt. A strange humming sound. And then he could see._

_There is a battle going on. He's standing next to Mallory and Tanya. They all are shooting at some unseen enemy._

_Lasers shoot back, and they all jump for cover. _

_He keeps firing away, trying to see the enemy but failing. _

_Then his puck blaster clicks empty._

_"Mallory! I need ammo!" he shouts._

_Mallory gives him a dirty look. "No way," she responds. "Not my fault you do poorly at sharp shooting. Maybe if you weren't such a loser..."_

_Confusion. Hurt. He turns to Tanya, who is already shaking her head._

_"I don't have the pucks to waste on you."_

_He stares at her, beak open in shock. Then a shadow falls in front of him, raises a laser._

_He screams as he raises his arms to cover his face._

_"Well, at least he won't be around to slow us down," he hears._

_There is a sharp shooting pain in his chest, and he can't breathe around the lump in his throat._

"Nosedive! What you're seeing can't be real. It never happened!"

_He is standing on a cliff next to Duke and Grin, with explosives going off everywhere. He can hear Canard shouting orders of retreat._

_Somewhere overhead, the whistle of an oncoming missile can be heard. Looking up, the sun blinds him. Then there is a loud blast and incredible heat coming at him in waves. The force knocks him back. For a horrible moment, he hangs, suspended in air. Then he begins to fall._

_His hand reaches out and grabs on the the ledge. The impact of his body striking against the side of the cliff almost makes him lose his hold._

_Glancing down he grows sick with fear at the sight of four Saurians waiting for him to fall._

_He looks back up. _

_"Grin! Duke! Help!"_

_"Yer on your own, kid!" he hears Duke shout. _

_Grin stands above him._

_"Grinster! Help!"_

_Grin shakes his head. "You're too full of negative vibes, little bud. Why don't you grow up and stop wasting our time?"_

_The ledge gives way and Nosedive yells in fear as he plummets down the the awaiting hands of the Saurians._

"We would never let you fall, little buddy. _I _would never let you fall."

_There is a huge group of droids running after him. Lasers fill the sky as he ducks and runs, trying to escape them. His lungs are aching from the lack of oxygen, and his legs are threatening to give out on him. _

_Up ahead he sees Wildwing and Canard, walking and talking with each other, unaware of the approaching danger._

_"Wing! Canard! Help!" he shouts out, as he trips on a rock and tumbles down to the floor. He pushes himself up and looks at his team mates._

_Canard is walking away, shaking his head._

_Wildwing stares back, his eyes filled with disgust and shame. Then he, too, turns and leaves._

_"Wildwing, no! Please!"_

"I would never abandon you, baby bro!"

"But you never came!"

_Vision after vision of betrayal. _

_A soft soothing voice. "What do you see, young one?"_

_No one coming to his aid._

_"Help me, Wing! Please! Duke?"_

_No one to support him._

_"Do they leave you alone to suffer?"_

_"Wildwing, please! " A sob. "This can't be real..."_

_Everything slows down and everything begins to grow dark. Nothing can be seen, and he can't help but feel grateful that the visions were gone._

_"I am sorry..."_

"I thought it was over..."

"Oh, Dive..."

_Trapped in darkness, utterly alone. Then there is a eerie laugh. Something glows before him, and then fades away. He gasps and back pedals in fear. Standing before him is a duck with black hair and black eyes. _

_"You are completely worthless," the stranger says, raising a hand._

_Vines appear out of nowhere, wrapping themselves around him. _

_"You don't deserve that body, much less live," the dark duck continues._

_"Who are you?" he shouts, half in fear and half in anger._

_"Why, I will be your better half," the other duck laughs._

_He eyes the stranger warily as he is approached._

_"You will cease to exist as I take control. It's for the best, you know. You'll never be called worthless again. You'll never be bothered by those that find you a burden. Al you have to do is sleep and let me get rid of all those nasty, horrible, thoughts."_

_Eyes widen in a mixture of fear and anticipation as a hand reaches out for his face. It lands gently on his temple, and the other duck begins to glow an unearthly green._

_"Long live the reign of Darkflame."_

_The moment of a gentle connection becomes a blinding and searing pain that fills his head, and he screams. Then he slumps over in weakness. The vines begin to drag him back towards a hole wrapping around him like a cacoon, while the other duck laughs and laughs. He goes over the edge..._

_There is a flash of light..._

_A wailing sound..._

_Blurry vision..._

_"Congratulations..."_

_A red figure..._

_"It's a boy."_

_The vision clears, and a red Saurian fills his view. And he feels complete and safe in the arms of his father._

_But still, a small seed of doubt exists._

"That never happened!" X

"It was you I saw, not him!" cried Nosedive, embracing his brother. Yet his voice sounded unsure.

Wildwing held his brother tightly. "Who did you see? What did you see?"

Nosedive shook his head. "Dragaunus! My hatching!"

Wildwing and Canard hissed.

"It was Wing you saw," said Canard. "I was there."

"I never knew they would be so cruel," Tanya whispered. "How can they do that to any sentient being's mind!"

Wildwing continued to whisper soothing words into his brother's ear. "You're safe, Dive. No one can hurt you now. You're safe."

Nosedive remained silent, taking in the warmth of his brother's arms. And yet...they no longer seemed to have the same effect of safety like he use to have. Instead, strange thoughts kept circling in his head. _Why am I seeing Dragaunus as being the one at my hatching? Who is this Darkflame? Why do I have his memories? And why do I feel jealous that Dragaunus showed so much pride in him... _

to be continued...

In the Next Episode of the Mighty Ducks

The conclusion to End Game  
and season finale for virtual  
season 1.


	18. End Game: Sudden Death Overtime Part 2

A/N: Mighty Ducks the Animated series belongs to Disney. The characters are just being used for entertainment.

**Summary: **Conclusion to End Game: Memories Part 1.

**End Game:  
Part 2: Sudden Death Overtime**_my home team! So any players' name_

_"Game one of the Stanley cup pits Anaheim against New Jersey. This is gonna be one exciting night, as we can judge by the plays if these games are gonna be over by the fourth game or if it's gonna be nail biting seven game draw!"_

Nosedive closed his eyes and took one deep breath. At the sound of the whistle, he took off into the obstacle course, his heart intent on beating all his old records and setting some new ones.

_Dive passed the puck to Duke as the defense linesman of New Jersey checked him into the boards. He barely heard the siren over the ringing in his ears and the sudden roar from the fans in the stands. _

First up was the agility part. He threw himself to the floor and crawled on his belly under the live wires. While they weren't strong enough to cause serious damage, they mild shocks were annoying. And dealing with hair filled with static was no joy ride either.

_The line change dealt out a rather large defense man. _

_"He's almost as big as Grin!" Nosedive exclaimed, eyes wide._

_"Grin's got more brains," said Duke, his eye equally as wide. _

_"And more grace," Grin added with disgust, as the defense man spit out a huge goober to the side._

_"Think you can handle him, kid?" asked Canard._

_Nosedive nodded and lowered his helmet as everyone lined up._

A padded bar came hurtling towards him. Nosedive rolled under it, and jumped up in time to avoid being swept off his feet by another bar.

_Nosedive let out a yelp as the big guy headed his way. He passed the puck to Duke, skated to the left while Duke went to the right, and caught the puck as Duke passed it back. One clean strike and the sweet sound of the goal siren was heard again._

A ball came soaring toward him. He raised his arm and deflected it against the mini shield he had borrowed from Tanya. He plunged forward.

_He cheered on from the sidelines as Canard skated past him. Third period and the game was 3 to 2. He glanced at the timer and saw four seconds left. 3... goalie stops the puck...2...send the puck shooting to the Duck's side...1...Wildwing stops it and passes it to Grin...0._

_Fans cheered as the first game was won._

Nosedive paused as he finished the agility part of the course and went into the shooting accuracy section. He pulled out his trusty puck blaster and made sure it was loaded. He nodded once and crouched into position.

The whistle sounded.

The first target popped up before he even stepped foot into the course.

_"Third period into the game and the Ducks are tied 4 for 4. Tough game, tough game. Seems as if New Jersey is giving it their best, learning from their mistakes in the first game."_

_Duke moaned as he skated to the benches. "He's got it in for me tonight."_

_"That was a pretty tough check. Can you make it?" asked Canard._

_Duke shook his head. "One more like that and I'll probably be out for some shut eye on the ice."_

_Canard nodded. "Fine. Then I'll take your place."_

Two more shots and three targets down. No time for celebration as he hurried through, hoping that he is ahead of his old time.

_Canard hit ice as he was checked from behind. Nosedive scrambled to reach for the puck but it was too late. The New Jersey team was in possession and the clock was running out. _

_"And the New Jersey team scores!" cried the announcer._

_"I don't believe it!" shouted Canard, hitting the ice._

_"Bummer," said Nosedive._

_"I'll say," agreed Tanya._

Nosedive dashed behind a wall as the targets actually fired back. He checked around and did some mental calculations. He aimed his blaster at one wall and fired. It ricocheted off the wall and took out three of the five armed targets.

He quickly stood up and fired twice, knocking them out.

_"Third game of the week and the Ducks are 1 for 1 with New Jersey. So far they are pretty even."_

Something sailed past his head and he turned around and hesitated for a second. Then he fired. The target was down but the "innocent bystander" was still upright. Nosedive continued on.

_"Comet dust!" shouted Canard._

_"Boobulas, you're killing me!" wailed Phil._

_"Shut-up," snapped Wildwing._

_"Defense, team, defense. We can't afford to have anymore goals scored on us."_

_"Yeah, but we need to score as well," said Nosedive._

_"Duke, Mallory, you take front lines."_

Nosedive rolled along the floor, bounced up, and shot his final target.

_"Another game lost, New Jersey 2 for 1. Things are looking bad for the Ducks as they get ready for the fourth game."_

Nosedive dashed to the next course. His favorite part. The one that tested his driving skills.

_"I'm wondering..."_

_"What's up, Canard."_

_"Nosedive, sit first period out. You'll play second."_

_"Uh, okay..."_

The simulation was so close to the real thing. A screen the surrounded him, and it moves as well, giving the feeling that he was out in the real world.

The objective was to outrun his pursuers, and so he began.

"_Second period and the score is two to one, in favor of New Jersey." _

_"Not for long," said Nosedive, heading up the ice towards his goal._

_"Canard!" he shouted, and waited for his captain to pass him the puck. He took one swing and the puck was in._

_"2 to 2!" shouted the announcer._

Nosedive gritted his teeth as the "vehicle" took a sharp turn, almost tipping on it's side. It bounced hard as it landed back on all four wheels.

_"Ducks are 4 to 2 and, oh no! New Jersey scores another goal. It is now 4 to 3 with one minute remaining in the last period."_

_"Now we play defense."_

Another sharp turn and he temporarily lost the pursuers. Nosedive checked the systems and spotted a potential ambush area up ahead.

He smirked to himself. He knew the streets well in this part of town.

_"The Ducks win! Two for two. Fans are really crazy now."_

Nosedive slowed the simulated Migrator. He eyed the alley's in front of him. He turned off the lights and activated the night vision feature. He scanned the scene in front of him. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

_"Fifth game and people are really tense as Anaheim and New Jersey get ready to play. Teams are lining up, and the referee drops the puck."_

Infrared showed three human forms sneaking their way to him. Nosedive slammed on the accelerator and sped past them, firing his puck cannon at their transports. The system shut down as the words "Driving Course Completed" flashed on the screen.

_Canard whistled as Nosedive, and the younger duck passed the puck to him._

_"Second period and the score is 1 to 0, New Jersey."_

_Canard feinted to the left and then shot the puck to the right. It ricocheted off the goalie post and went into the net._

_Fans screamed and whistled in celebration._

_"And the Ducks even it up, one to one!"_

The multi-course was the most difficult. The set up always changed and he had to be quick on his feet. At the sound of the whistle, he set off.

_Nosedive grunted as he crashed to the ice._

_The referee blew the whistle. "Foul. Slashing. Favor of Anaheim."_

Nosedive held back a yelp as something flew past his head. He ducked and crawled under a block and fired his puck launcher. He heard it strike his target and he continued on, heading to a small air vent. He popped the gate open and hauled himself up. Seemed that espionage was the main focus this time...

_Nosedive and Phil alike bit their nails as New Jersey scored another goal._

_"5 to 3 as New Jersey scores another goal. They're closing the gap. Seven minutes left in third period and Anaheim is still in the lead._"

Nosedive dropped into the office and took only half a second to admire how real the set up was. He made his way to the computer. He pulled out a wire from his communicator and plugged it into the processor. He turned the computer on, hoping that he remembered everything Tanya had taught him.

_"Three minutes left and the score remains the same. The ducks are now playing defensive as they struggle to make sure New Jersey doesn't score another goal._"

Nosedive disconnected the wire and made his way back the the air vent. He jumped as the office door was kicked open. "No fair!" he shouted, spotting Duke and Grin aiming blasters at him.

He leaped up and pulled himself into the vent, feeling the rubber pucks graze his legs. "Should have figured there would have been a surprise in this one."

He pulled himself along as quickly as he could, hearing the sound of someone climbing in behind him.

_"Thirty seconds left and oh! 5 to 4! Anaheim. New Jersey pulled a fast one there."_

Nosedive grunted as he dropped to the floor. He looked around and spotted a broom stick. He grabbed it and headed to the room's door. He yanked it open, stepped out, shut it, and shoved the stick between the handle and the wall. "That should stall him for a bit," he said, as he raced down the "hall way".

Up ahead he could see a figure waiting for him. He grinned to himself. "Almost there..."

Then something jumped in front of him...

_"Five seconds left and there goes New Jersey, heading for the Anaheim goal. Brodswick shoots, and he..."_

Without thinking, Nosedive dove to the side, slid across the floor, turned around, aimed, and fired his puck launcher upwards. It struck a sprinkler, setting it off. He scrambled up and ran to the figure and the finish line.

_"...misses! Time's up and the Mighty Ducks are three for two!"_

Canard hit the button on his stop watch and looked at it. He slowly looked up at Nosedive, who was breathing hard.

He held back a smile as Mallory came up from behind, soaking wet and cursing. Duke followed, looking sheepish as Grin walked beside him holding a broken broom.

Canard looked back at Nosedive. "Congratulations. You beat your record, and set a new one for the Driving course."

Nosedive grinned. X

"Tomorrow night should prove to be suspenseful as fans wonder whether the Ducks will win and end the Stanley Cup or will New Jersey win and drag it out for another game?"

Dragaunus turned off the monitor, a sneer appearing on his face. "Either way, this game will be their last."

He straightened himself up and looked at Wraith who was standing behind him. "How many?" he asked.

"Thirty droids have been completed, my lord."

"Perfect." X

Nosedive was putting away his gear as Canard came up from behind.

"That was some fancy foot work there," he said.

"Thanks," replied Nosedive. "Learned from watching the best."

Canard looked puzzled.

"Duke."

"Ah," said Canard, with a nod. He shook his head. "Somehow I doubt Wildwing would be thrilled to learn your learning your stealthiness from a former criminal, even if he is on our ... Nosedive?"

Nosedive's eyes went wide as his body became rigid.

Canard took one look at the young duck and swore. "Wildwing! Tanya!" he shouted into his comm-unit. "To the locker room! Now!"

_A sinister laugh._

"Nosedive! Snap out of it!"

_Black eyes stare at him. "I am you, and you are me, and together we are Darkflame."_

_A series of bombs, money floating through the air, Dragaunus by his side, telling him how proud he was._

_"All for you, Dad..."_

_Dragaunus looked at him with fatherly pride, and Darkflame felt a smile spread across his face. He would do anything for his father. Anything._

_A faint laugh in the background as more visions of burglaries fill his mind. People getting hurt. A puck blaster aimed at Wildwing...at Wildwing...the enemy...no..._My brother!

Nosedive let out a cry as he dropped to his knees. A pair of strong arms wrapped around him.

"Kid! Snap out of it! Wing will be here," he heard.

"Dive!"

"Wing! I think he had a flash back."

"Dive, I'm here..."

Nosedive felt himself being pulled into gentle arms. He took in deep breaths and looked around.

_Dragaunus was there, holding him. Siege and Wraith were at the sides. So where was Chameleon?_

"Baby bro! Answer me, please?"

Nosedive turned to face him.

_That voice... Dragaunus's red face shimmered and began to disappear._

_"I'm sorry, Dad."_

_Soon the face became smaller and white..._

"Wildwing?" Nosedive asked, shakily.

Wildwing sighed. "You scared us," he said.

"I was Darkflame," Nosedive whispered. "I was, am, a wanted criminal."

"No! Dive, that wasn't you. You were possessed. You're just confused. You must've remembered _his _memories, but you have to believe us that it wasn't you."

Nosedive looked at him. "But I pointed a laser to you, bro!"

"But you stopped. Because you were still in there somewhere, fighting to be free," said Canard.

Nosedive frowned as he looked at them. "If you say so..." he said, doubtfully, and with a tinge of guilt.

_But if it wasn't me at all, why do _I _suddenly feel guilty about having left Dragaunus behind, and alone?_ X

"We are here at the Anaheim Pond, waiting for the game to begin. It's the sixth game and this will determine whether we win the Stanley Cup or if we will have one more battle left. Joining us right now is the manager, Phil Palmfeather. Phil? What has been crossing your mind these last few games?"

"Heh, my potential bonus."

"Er...right. Bob, I believe you are with the team captain at the moment?"

"Yes, Bill, I am. I'm here with the Anaheim Mighty Duck's team captain. Canard, you seemed to change line up frequently. Is there a reason behind this?"

_Dragaunus stood in the shadows, watching the humans parking there cars and piling into the stadium. Next to him stood Nightbloom, a small frown on her face._

_Behind them stood Siege, Wraith, and Chameleon, all wishing there was something better to do._

"There is always a reason. Watching the game on and off the ice made me see some things that weren't too noticeable previously. But I'm pretty confidant in our victory tonight."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"That's a secret," responded Canard, with a smirk on his face.

_"This is the last time I warn you, Sir Draguanus. This plan is foolish and should not be carried through."_

_"You're only saying that because I planned this without you. We will succeed."_

_"Fine. Have it your way. Since you are so sure of your victory, my presence is no longer needed." The female closed her eyes and bowed her head. In a few moments, her body became a purple vapor and it disintergrated into the air._

_"About time she's gone," said Chameleon._

"And there you have it for the folks at home, why you're there and not here with us is beyond me. But the team captain practically promised us a victory. Back to you, Bill."

"Thanks, Bob. Let's see how well he can fulfil that promise."

_Klegghorn glanced at his watch. Five minutes before the start of the game._

_"Is all this necessary?" he heard Wildwing ask behind him._

_"Shouldn't you be on the ice?" Klegghorn asked in return._

_"I'm going, Captain. But why so much security this time around?"_

_"At this point of the game, there are many nut jobs who come out of hiding, mostly desperate gamblers and bookies that try to sabotage the game in their favor."_

_"I see."_

"Well, people are seated and there is one minute left. And everyone stands up as the national anthem begins..." X

Canard shook his head as he glanced at the timer. Fifteen minutes left. The Jersey team was desperate, and they were trying every trick in the book

_"First period and Canard starts off with Nosedive on the bench. He also has Duke playing defense with Mallory and Tanya front and center. So far, five minutes into the game and the score is still 0 to 0. This is shaping out to be a tough game."_

Nosedive winces as Duke was slammed up against the boards. "Ouch," he let out.

Behind him, Phil paced back and forth. "I can't take this anymore!" he said, pulling out a packet of antacids and dropping them into a cup of water. He chugged it down.

Nosedive looked up at him, his face twisted in a look of disgust. "How can you drink that stuff?"

"Acquired taste. Especially when you have crime fighting ducks for a team."

_"Oh! And another missed attempt. Score is still 0 to 0 as the first period draws to an end. _

Canard grimaced as he was checked again.

"How ya holding up?" asked Tanya, in the passing.

"Could be better," muttered Canard, racing back towards their goalie, watching Grin as he stopped any further advancement. "Speed definitely works against their favor. Wish it were working on mine."

_"Oh, 0 to 0 as the first period draws to an end. Taking a look at the replays, we can see how well Canard matched up his players to New Jersey. While Duke usually plays up in the front, Canard put him in defense where his stealth and speed came in handy, stopping James from scoring any goals this period."_

_"But, Bill...they are purely on the defense right now. An unusual tactic. One wonders just what was Canard thinking with this line up."_

Canard skated up to the benches, the other ducks gathering around. "Okay, that was a tough round. Nosedive?"

Nosedive nodded. "Ready, sir!" he said with a smirk. X

_"The ducks prepare for the second period. Nosedive and Canard are up in front. Duke takes the bench as Tanya moves to defense. Just what are the ducks up to?"_

"I would have left Duke in defense," said Nosedive, lowering his helmet and leaning forward.

"Don't question me on the ice. Ask me after the period," replied Canard.

"Uh, okay..." said Nosedive.

_A human with four fingers and several green spots on his hands stood by he Pond's entrance. He eyes Klegghorn and the security guards patrolling the area. This was going to be tricky._

_"Hope Lord Dragaunus knows what he's doing," he muttered, before transforming into a dog and scampering past the guards._

Nosedive fought the urge to swear as he quickly skated to the side, avoiding the big defense man. As soon as he had stepped onto the ice, he had been targeted by Mighty Joe Young.

"Watch out for that one," was the only warning he had gotten from Canard. Of course, he had seen some of the body slams inflicted on his team captain.

"You know," he said, as he found himself trying to catch up to one of the Jersey players. "It's times like this I wish I were goalie instead of one of the front linesmen."

He stopped short when the light on the goal flashed. New Jersey had scored the first goal.

_"New Jersey has the lead with one goal. Can the Ducks make up for this mistake?"_

Nosedive glanced at Canard. The tan duck didn't seem upset, just determined. He shook his head and focused on the puck that was ready to drop in front of him.

_Dragaunus teleported behind one of the security guards. He backhanded him, knocking the man out. Siege appeared and dragged the guard into hiding, as Chameleon morphed into the guard and took his place._

Canard crashed into the defense man, sending both of them hurtling across the ice. Nosedive let out a shout of surprise and did the first thing he could think of. . . jump.

Fans screamed wildly as Nosedive landed safetly on the other side. Unfortunately, the other player was waiting for him. He saw stars.

_"The time is almost up. Soon the third period will begin, and then the end of the Mighty Ducks. Darkflame will be restored to me." Dragaunus let out an evil laugh._

_"Anyone want to point out the one little flaw in his plans?" muttered Chameleon._

_"He'll figure it out when he has that duck in his hands and no magic powder from Nightbloom," replied Wraith, with a grunt._

Time was ticking down and there was score was still 1 to 0, New Jersey in the lead.

People jumped up from the seats as New Jersey headed towards the Ducks goal net again.

Wildwing dove to the side and blocked the shot. The puck rebounded off his glove and back into the hands of the opposing team. The player took another swing and the puck went in.

Wildwing slammed his fist into the ice before getting up.

In the bench, both Duke and Phil let out a sigh of disappointment as "2 to 0" flashed on the screen.

"Defense," shouted Canard.

_"Are all the teleporters in place?" asked Dragaunus._

_"Yes, my lord," replied Wraith._

_"What about the explosives?"_

_"I've got some rigged. Chameleon is taking the rest as he patrols around as that human guard."_

_"Excellent. So far everything is on schedule. We might even enjoy the rest of the game."_

All the ducks huddled around Canard as they waited for third period to begin.

"All right," he said. "I'm sitting this one out. Duke and Nosedive, this time you'll take the front. After those two shots, their player Brodswick is going to be cocky. Best way to pull the rug out from under him is to give him a dose of his medicine."

"Hey!" protested Nosedive.

A tiny smirk played on Canard's beak. "Both you and Duke seem to enjoy antagonizing the players, so that should get him distracted. Second, you two work the fastest together, and now that we're in third period, the human ape over there won't be at his full potential. They may keep him or pull in a new one. Tanya and Grin, you just keep those players out of there. Mallory, keep playing defensive in case Brodswick manages to get the puck away from Duke and Nosedive."

"So why didn't we do that the first time?" asked Nosedive.

"Duke needed a break to play at his full potential. You do your best after the first period you play. I need you at your best in this final period."

Wildwing clapped a hand over his brother's shoulder and gave him a wink.

"All right. Then let's go party!" whooped Nosedive, as the warning bell sounded.

The ducks skated into their places as Canard took the bench.

Third period was about to begin. X

Nosedive stared into the eyes of Brodswick in front of him.

"Guess you're not number one anymore," the Jersey player said, with a cocky grin.

Nosedive grinned. "Oh, I don't know about that." He winked at Duke who grinned back.

Brodswick suddenly looked nervous.

_Dragaunus stood behind the sports announcers in the box. They continued to narrate the game below them, the bit of hysteria in the voices easily mistaken as excitement._

_Three droids stood behind them, laser guns pointed at their heads. A security officer was among them._

_The organ player, a small old man wearing a hearing aid, played the music, oblivious to the what was going on in the room with him._

_Dragaunus grinned maliciously as he watched his protege that would soon rejoin him._

"2 to 1. It's 2 to 1 as Nosedive drives the puck into the net! Five minutes left in the period and the Ducks finally put a number up on their score board."

"That was a lucky shot," said Brodswick, as the referee got ready to drop the puck in front of him and Nosedive.

"Whatever you say," responded Nosedive, adjusting his helmet.

Both players leaned over, waiting for the puck to hit the ice.

"But..." continued Nosedive. "What will be your reason after I score the next goal?"

Brodswick growled.

Nosedive made a kissing sound.

Brodswick blinked.

Nosedive struck first, sending the puck towards Duke while skating around and past the New Jersey player, leaving him behind.

Duke skated towards the goal, keeping his eye on the huge defender that was coming his way. He stopped short, passed the puck _back _to Mallory, who shot it to Nosedive who was in position.

"And it's another goal! The Ducks score another goal and bring up the score into a tie!"

_Captain Klegghorn glanced at the small television placed up on the walls. He grinned and shook his head. Leave it up to the Ducks to cut close calls. Just about everybody was in their seat, not wanting to miss a second._

_This, of course, made his job easier. Of course, front row seats would have been better._

_He came across one of the maintanence room, the door slightly opened. His eyes narrowed._

_"Officer Gerald, report in." Klegghorn waited, walkie in hand._

_"Officer Gerald, here, sir," he heard the officer respond._

_"How," began Klegghorn, pushing the door to the room open. He paused. "Er, how are things in your  
section?"_

_"Everything is A-okay, Captain."_

_"Good." Klegghorn placed the walkie back on his belt and knelt down. There are on the floor was an unconscious security guard, his name tag reading Officer Gerald. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Headquarters? Security's been breached at the Pond. Send reinforcements now."_

The bell sounded as people screamed from their seats.

"Oh my gosh, Bill, it''s Sudden Death Overtime!"

_"It most certainly is, how thrilling," responded Bill, glancing at the barrel of the laser gun pointed at him._

"Ladies and gents, these next few minutes are gonna be torture."

_"Torture, torture, torture," agreed Bill._

"The outcome of this game is either gonna bring us victory or give us one more high intensity game!"

_"Either way, this play will bring the house down."_

_Bill gaped as the security guard morphed into him, then into a little green dude._

_"Oh, oh, I kill myself!" the green lizard said, laughing his head off._ X

Nightbloom watched from the monitor back at the Raptor. She shook her head and turned to one of the walls. She tossed some powder onto it, then disappeared. X

"We are bringing you down," hissed Brodswick.

"Oh, like fer sure, dude. I'm, like, quaking 'round the knees with fear, dude," jested Nosedive.

"He can bring us down, Dive," said Duke, sounding completely serious. "If we're not careful enough and trip over his body." Then he sneered. "Cause we are gonna flatten them these next few minutes."

The referee skated over to the players. He glanced at Nosedive and Brodswick. Held the puck in between, and dropped it, skating as fast as he could to the side lines.

_Police cars lined the outsides of the stadium._

_"All right, men," said Klegghorn. "Expect the unexpected. We may be dealing with humans, but I get the feeling it's those Saurians we've been warned about. Do what ever is necessary to take them down!" The police officers nodded and made their way into the Stadium. _

"You are playing with them, aren't you?" accused Duke.

"Moi?" responded Nosedive, with big eyes.

"Careful or it just might backfire on us and we'll lose the game."

"Relax, old man..."

"Old _man?_"

Nosedive laughed as he skated towards the goal for another round, Duke's outrage at being called man superceeding that of being called old. "All right, all right. I'll score then... whaaaah!" The young duck collided into the huge Jersey player.

He gritted his teeth as Brodswick swiped the puck and headed towards the Duck's defense line.

Duke skated as fast as he could after him while Mallory also raced for him.

With his speed, Brodswick barely managed to avoid Mallory, and met up with Grin and Tanya.

He took a wild shot, sending the puck flying towards Wildwing.

Nosedive gasped, then sighed in relief as the fans cheered at the blocked attempt. The puck was passed to Mallory, who tore down the ice towards Duke and Nosedive.

_"Seven seconds left in the overtime period and Jersey has possession. He shoots and he misses! Puck now goes to Mallory, who passes it to Duke. Duke skates past Brodswick and he passes the puck to Nosedive. Nosedive shoots and oh! It bounces off the top of the goal. Goalie tender Swaze has it, sends it to Brodswick, and the puck is intercepted by Nosedive. He goes, he shoots, and he scores! Ladies and gentlemen, that sound you hear signals the end of the over time period and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks have won the championship!"_

Nosedive was nearly bowled over by Duke and Mallory as the rushed him and hugged him.

Moments later they were joined by the other ducks.

_Dragaunus grinned as he pulled out a remote switch._

People whooped with joy and threw their hats into the air as Wildwing and Canard circled the ice rink. Wildwing carried the Anaheim banner while Canard showed off their trophy.

Canard stopped and skated to the middle, where the other ducks were still laughing and patting each other's back.

Nosedive was caught off guard as all the other ducks stepped away from him. In front of him stood Canard, holding the trophy.

"Kid," he said. "I think, and I'm pretty sure everyone else will agree, that you deserve to have this." With a half smile, he held out the trophy.

Wildwing grinned at the shocked expression on his younger brother.

Nosedive then beamed as he reached for the trophy.

_Dragaunus pressed the switch._

A large explosion was heard, and felt, by all. X

The ducks gave a shout as the floor beneath them rocked, knocking them off their feet. A large crack split the ice rink in two. Fans screamed in terror, rushing for the nearest doors.

Outside, in the halls, Klegghorn shook the debris off of him. He stood up and growled when he saw the first of many people rushing out the door.

"Stand to the sides! Try to avoid getting trampled!" he shouted into his walkie, as he quickly pressed himself against the wall.

Back inside, Canard and Wildwing were pushing the others off the ice, each one in battle mode.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Wildwing cried out.

"Look out!" shouted Mallory, pointing above them. The ducks scattered into different directions as a piece of the ceiling came crashing down to where they were standing.

"Is everyone okay?" Canard asked, coughing.

"Dive? Where's Dive?" asked Wildwing.

The other ducks looked around. Nosedive was not with them. The only other place he could be was inside the locker room, and that place was currently blocked by broken cement.

Canard turned on the golden mask and scanned the contents on the other side. He frowned.

"What is it?"

"Nosedive is there, but he's not moving. C'mon, we have to go through our other entrance. Grin, you and Duke try to get this cleared up. We have to reach the kid which ever way is quicker." X

Nosedive groaned as he pushed himself up. He glanced back and could hear Canard shouting some orders. His head hurt too much to make out what was being said. _I have to get back to the guys, _he thought to himself. He began to walk towards the locker room, where the secret elevator was at. As he rounded the corner, he could make out some voices.

"I say we pulverize the twerp and say some cement block fell on him."

"Pancake a la duck, I like that!"

Nosedive gasped as he recognized the voices belong to Siege and Chameleon. "How did those two losers manage to get in here?" he growled to himself, looking around. The exit was blocked and the two dweebs were up ahead. Glancing up, he spotted an air vent.

"Oh, boy," he muttered. X

Grin threw another chunk of concrete to the side while Duke tried to contact Nosedive through the comm unit.

"No good. Either he's still out or his comm unit isn't working."

"Thank goodness the two of you are all right," they heard someone say.

Glancing back, Grin and Duke made out Captain Klegghorn heading their way. "Where are the others?"

"Nosedive is in there."

"The others went to find another way in."

"Yeah, well, Chameleon's around."

Duke groaned. "Which means that Dragaunus is definitely behind this."

"Could there have been any another?" asked Grin, an odd mixture of polite sarcasm.

"Nosedive has had too much influence on you," retorted Duke, with a scowl. X

Wildwing and Canard rounded another corner and stopped short as something fell in front of them.

"Nosedive!" cried out Wildwing in surprise.

"Er, what happened?" asked Tanya.

Nosedive stood up, his face grey and hair grey with dirt. "Siege and Chameleon were in the locker room. Air vent was the only way out. And you know what else I learned?"

"What?" asked Canard.

"The simulation ventilation system is a heck of a lot cleaner than the Pond's!" Nosedive let out a cough as he brushed some of the dust away, making a face. "And I swear I passed mushrooms growing in one of them."

Next thing they knew, lasers were being fired at them.

"Duck!" shouted Canard, as he fired back at several droids that had come up from behind them.

Mallory and Tanya dropped to their knees and fired back.

"Looks like we have reinforcements," shouted Nosedive, spotting a small army of police officers heading their way.

"Fall back," ordered Canard, as the ducks began making their way to the officers.

The policemen waited until the Ducks has reached them before firing on the droids.

"Duke, come in!" shouted Canard on his comm unit.

"Right here," responded Duke.

"Dive's with us, we've got droids on our hands. We're in the north wing, between concession stands five and six."

"On our way."

Canard turned off his comm unit and blinked at the sight of two colored streams flying past him. One red and one yellow.

They splattered over they motion sensors on the droids' heads, blinding them. Unable to see where they were firing, they ended up shooting each other.

Canard whirled around to see Nosedive blowing on two squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard as if they were guns. He shook his head.

"You played with your food a lot when you were a kid, didn't you?" he asked.

Nosedive just grinned.

With one quick word to the officers, the ducks and the humans parted. They headed back in the direction they had come from and met up with Duke, Grin, and Klegghorn.

"There are droids everywhere," said Duke. "We just trashed four of them."

"Nosedive seasoned nine," commented Canard.

"So far my men have reported forty three sightings. More than half already destroyed."

At that moment, the lights went out.

"Well, this is just great," muttered Mallory.

Canard turned on the mask to scan the room, and was promptly rewarded with the sight of someone wall standing directly in front of him.

"Oof!" he grunted, as his body was slammed into the wall. He slid down, unconcious.

"Canard?" asked Wildwing and Nosedive.

Nosedive reached out and touched some familiar material covering a cold muscular body.

The emergency lights kicked in, and under the eerie light, he was shocked to see the face of Dragaunus staring down at him. He found himself unable to move from fear.

The ducks cried in anger as the charged the Saurian. However, Chameleon, Seige, Wraith and several droids materialized beside him and began firing back.

Dragaunus grabbed Nosedive by the wrist and yanked him towards him. He held an arm around Nosedive's chest, using him as a shield while he continued to fire at the other ducks.

"Watch them die," the Saurian Overlord said.

Nosedive struggled to get out of his grasp. "Wildwing!" he cried out.

Wildwing glanced at Canard, then at the other ducks. "Split up!" he ordered.

The others nodded and took off in different directions. Duke and Grin went back into one hallway, while Tanya and Mallory took two different flights of stairs. Klegghorn ran into a door marked "3rd level Box Seats."

"After them!" shouted Dragaunus.

Seige and a couple of of droids went after Grin and Duke. Wraith went after Mallory while Chameleon went after Tanya. Another droid went after Klegghorn.

"Let my brother go," growled Wildwing.

Draguanus laughed. "And why should I do something like that?" he asked.

"Because you are out numbered," muttered Canard, struggling to get up.

Dragaunus snarled as he pushed Nosedive back and fired fired a gun at him. A pair of bolas flew out, wrapping around Nosedive.

The young duck crashed to the floor, arms pinned to his sides.

"I will personally see you two dead," said Draguanus. X

Chameleon turned the corner and ran into Seige, bouncing back onto the floor. Seige, on the other hand, remained standing. "Sheesh," he said, rubbing his head. "Where did you come from?"

"I was following the ducks!"

"Well, they didn't pass me."

"I lost them!" Seige growled.

"Wait a minute. If we lost them, maybe they're headed back for the boss!"

"Uh oh." X

Nosedive struggled to get loose as his brother slammed into the wall for an upteenth time. Both puck blasters and the laser gun were discarded to the side, useless at the moment.

He bit his mouth, almost crying out a warning to Dragunuas as Canard came up from behind with a tool box in his hands.

_What is wrong with me? _Nosedive asked himself, torn between wishing his brother to win and Dragaunus leaving to avoid any injuries.

Dragaunus whirled around at the last moment, and using his tail, knocked Canard to the side.

A puck hitting the floor caught their attention.

Duke and Grin had returned.

Footsteps were heard as Mallory and Tanya rushed down the stairs.

Dragaunus growled, then he dashed over to Nosedive, hoisting him up over his shoulder.

"I guess this will have to wait for another day," he said, pulling out his teleportation device.

"No!" cried Wildwing, scrambling up.

Mallory took aim and fired.

The remote flew out of Dragaunus's hands, breaking into pieces. He let out an angry roar.

Grin suddenly tacked him, bring him to the floor. Canard caught Nosedive and passed him off to Wildwing, who promptly removed the binding.

"Thanks, bro," said Nosedive, quietly.

Klegghorn emered from the door he had taken and took one look at the scene. He pointed his gun at Dragaunus who was pinned underneath Grin.

"Freeze, dirtbag," he growled. "You're under arrest." X

Chameleon, Wraith, and Seige nearly slammed into each other as they paused and saw the scene before them. Their boss was on the floor, being told that he was under arrest.

The three saurians began to move towards him but spotted a horde of policemen swarming the area.

"I'm thinking this would be a good time to retreat," Chameleon said.

"I agree," said Wraith. "We can always break him out once we find out where they take him."

Without another word, the three Saurians disappeared in a flash of green light.

They reappeared back in the Raptor.

"We gotta find Nightbloom," said Chameleon. "Maybe we can convince her to help us free Dragaunus."

"I doubt it," said Wraith, pointing to the wall.

In glowing purple letters, a message was scrawled on the wall.

EMOTIONS ARE THE DOWNFALL OF  
ANY BEING, INCLUDING SAURIANS. LEARN  
FROM YOUR LORD'S MISTAKES. X

A large police car pulled up to the Pond. Klegghorn walked towards it, chewing on a toothpick.

Behind him stood Dragaunus, a pair of large steel cuffs binding his wrists together.

Next to him stood Canard and Grin, escorting the Saurian to the vehicle that would take him to his new home.

Off to the side stood Wildwing and Nosedive.

Dragunus and Nosedive met eye to eye. The look the Saurian gave to the duck was undescribable, but the one in Nosedive's eyes were one of guilt. He took a step forward before he stopped and looked away. Dragaunus was then loaded up into the van.

Wildwing patted his brother's shoulder. "Things are going to be okay now," he said.

"Yeah," responded Nosedive, somewhat doubtfully.

"This," said Duke, coming up behind them. "Is a time for celebration. I say we all take a trip to Disneyland."

"Isn't that a little cliche'd?" responed Nosedive, a smirk forming on his lips. X

A hooded figure stood on top of the Pond, looking at the actions below. Yellow snake like eyes watched the interaction between the young duck and the Saurian, and how the others began to crowd around the younger one as Dragaunus was led away.

The head moved up to look straight ahead, and the material fell back enough so that a grey muzzle could be seen. Magenta lips slowly curled up into a smirk.

Within moments, the figure faded in a cloud of purple mist.

In the Next Season of Saurian Code Productions: The Ducks continue to recover from the damage done by Dragaunus, however a break out puts them on the edge. To complicate matters, tension begins to arise between Wildwing and Canard, putting Nosedive in the middle. Admist difficult decisions, unexpected trouble, and personal issues, a huge twist awaits the end of season 2.


End file.
